SpaceX on Tuesday was poised to attempt a test flight of Starship SN9 — an experimental giant rocket the company hopes will one day go to Mars — after the last prototype crashed in a fiery explosion in December.
The stainless steel rocket has been cleared for lift-off from Boca Chica, Texas by the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which delayed granting authorization after determining that SpaceX’s last launch violated the terms of its license.
The launch window runs from 9:00 am to 6:00 pm Central Time (1500 to 0000 GMT Wednesday), with space news site NASA Spaceflight reporting it was likely to take place in Tuesday afternoon.
Footage at 2000 GMT showed the rocket venting methane, one of several signs of a potential launch within 30 minutes. The surrounding village had been evacuated earlier.
Starship SN10, the next iteration which is not flying Tuesday, was standing some distance away.
SpaceX had sought a waiver to exceed the maximum allowable risk to the public for its December 9 launch of Starship SN8, which went up in flames but was nonetheless declared a successful test mission.
The FAA denied the request, but SpaceX went ahead anyway, landing the company in hot water.
The regulator denied SpaceX the opportunity to launch last week and asked them to carry out corrective actions, finally granting its approval Monday night.
Tuesday’s test would involve the rocket reaching an altitude of approximately 10 kilometres, performing a maneuver called a “belly flop,” then attempting to land upright.
The December test ended in a crash landing.
The company hopes the reusable rocket system, which towers at 120 meters (394 feet), will one day carry crew and cargo to fly to the Moon, Mars and beyond.
(AFP)
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