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SpaceX has aborted the newest launch of Starship in what was set to be an important take a look at of the Mars-bound rocket.
The raise off of the 123-metre-tall rocket, which is the largest rocket ever constructed, was scrubbed simply earlier than 6pm native time (12am GMT) on Monday at SpaceX’s Starbase facility in Texas.
It was not instantly clear what brought about the launch group to face down, which came about with 40 seconds left on the countdown.
“Standing down from at present’s flight take a look at try,” SpaceX posted to X. “Starship group is figuring out the following finest accessible alternative to fly.”
The setback comes simply six weeks after the earlier Starship take a look at resulted in an explosion over the Turks and Caicos Islands.
The eighth take a look at flight was meant to observe the identical trajectory as earlier Starship missions, although it included new targets that had by no means earlier than been achieved.
This included the primary ever deployment of a payload into orbit, with 4 dummy Starlink satellites set to be launched throughout the 90-minute flight take a look at.
The massive payload capability of Starship implies that it is going to be charged with delivering SpaceX’s next-generation Starlink satellites into orbit when operational, although the first objective for the rocket is to conduct missions to Mars.
SpaceX boss Elon Musk has stated he hopes to ascertain a everlasting human colony on the Pink Planet by 2050, with plans to construct a fleet of 1000’s of Starship rockets so as ferry crews and cargo all through the Photo voltaic System.
An investigation into the failed flight take a look at on 16 January stays ongoing, although the US Federal Aviation Administration has authorised SpaceX to proceed performing Starship missions.
“After finishing the required and complete security evaluate, the FAA decided the SpaceX Starship automobile can return to flight operations,” an FAA spokesperson instructed The Unbiased forward of the newest Starship launch.
“The FAA decided SpaceX met all security, environmental and different licensing necessities for the suborbital take a look at flight.”
