The launch of this rocket intended for trips to the Moon and the planet Mars was postponed due to technical problems. After a first unsuccessful attempt in the spring, Elon Musk’s company will carry out a new test flight on Saturday.
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False start. SpaceX postponed by one day the highly anticipated second launch of the largest and most powerful rocket ever built, Starship, due to technical problems, Elon Musk, the boss of the American company, announced Thursday, November 16. This second test flight will be closely scrutinized by NASA, which is counting on this spacecraft for its return missions to the Moon, after a first attempt which ended in a huge explosion in the spring.
Elon Musk said on . “The launch is therefore postponed to Saturday”he concluded.
Preparing for launch on Saturday pic.twitter.com/gIpnubscWa
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 16, 2023
On April 20, Starship took off for the first time in its full configuration. But several engines did not work, and SpaceX intentionally blew up the rocket after four minutes. The rocket disintegrated into a ball of fire and crashed into the Gulf of Mexico, sending a cloud of dust over a town several miles away.
In seven months, the launch pad was rebuilt, and a system of “deluge” water has been installed and tested. These downpours of water discharged when the engines are started must attenuate the acoustic waves, limiting vibrations. In the long term, SpaceX plans to use Starship to reach the planet Mars.