Space exploration fanatics hold their breath. SpaceX’s Starship rocket, the largest and most powerful rocket in the world, is to be launched Thursday, April 20 at 3:30 p.m. (French time) from Starbase in Texas (United States). Initially scheduled three days earlier, the takeoff of this giant, intended for trips to the Moon and Mars, had been canceled at the last minute due to a fault in a valve. This test launch is crucial for Starship, which has never flown in its full configuration, with its super-powerful first stage, called “Super Heavy”. Will she be able to take off on this second attempt? Follow our live.
Just under one circumference of the Earth. Thursday’s flight plan provides several clear milestones. About three minutes after liftoff, the first stage should detach and fall back into the waters of the Gulf of Mexico. The Starship spacecraft must then continue its ascent on its own and complete a little less than a tour of the Earth before falling back into the Pacific Ocean.
Elon Musk fears failure. The billionaire and boss of SpaceX has warned : “If we get far enough away from the launch pad before there’s a problem, I’ll consider that a success.” The billionaire fears in particular that one of the 33 engines of “Super Heavy” will explode and cause a “domino effect” spreading to others. “It would surely take several months to rebuild the launch pad if we melt it down”, he dreads. Thursday morning, however, Elon Musk assured on Twitter that “all lights [étaient] at the Green light” regarding this launch.
The spacecraft chosen by NASA to return to the Moon. This inaugural flight is closely followed by the American Space Agency. Nasa chose this spacecraft to land its astronauts on the Moon during the Artemis 3 mission, which is officially scheduled for 2025. According to Nasa’s plans, they would leave the ground aboard Nasa’s new mega-rocket, SLS, and would go to the Moon thanks to the Orion capsule. It will then dock with Starship, which will have been previously placed in lunar orbit.