SpaceX is now aiming for its giant Starship rocket to blast off into space this Thursday, 20 April after a technical hitch put the mockers on its attempt at the start of the week.
Elon Musk's launch company has a 62-minute launch window opening at 8:28am central time (2.28pm London time), SpaceX said in an update.
This uncrewed test flight will be the first ever for Starship in its 'fully stacked' configuration, which at 119 metres is taller than the Statue of Liberty with the Super Heavy boosters affixed below the Starship upper stake rocket that is designed to carry cargo and passengers into Earth orbit, to the moon and potentially enable interplanetary travel.
Starship has more than double the thrust of any previous rocket launched from Earth and its fully reusable design is intended to facilitate frequent flights to orbit for people and up to 150 tonnes of satellite cargo into low-Earth orbit, which could further transform the space industry.
Teams are working towards Thursday, April 20 for the first flight test of a fully integrated Starship and Super Heavy rocket → https://t.co/bG5tsCUanp pic.twitter.com/umcqhJCGai
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) April 17, 2023
This first flight, however, is not intended to complete a full orbit, with the company not attempting its usual vertical landing nor to catch the Super Heavy booster, with both vehicles due to splashdown and be expended.
Technical preparations are continuing at Starbase, SpaceX's facility at Boca Chica, South Texas, with the company due to live-stream the launch around 45 minutes before liftoff.
"As is the case with all developmental testing, this schedule is dynamic and likely to change," SpaceX said.
Monday's scheduled launch was halted with just minutes to go on the countdown due to an issue Musk pinned on a frozen pressure valve, which was expected to push the launch date back 48 hours, before the latest update confirmed Thursday as the new date.
It was a relatively small delay for Starship, with SpaceX having planned the launch for the summer of 2021, before issues with development and environmental approval.
Starship is the culmination of a US$3 billion contract SpaceX won from NASA to use the rocket as a crewed lunar lander as part of the Artemis program, for which it won a follow-on US$1.15 billon contract last November.
Starship fully stacked at Starbase pic.twitter.com/UW4V3ZRcLR
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) April 15, 2023
Under the latest tweak to the contract, NASA wants SpaceX to support a second human landing demonstration as part of the Artemis IV mission, as well as to dock with the Gateway four-person space station that is planned to orbit the Moon.