SpaceX to Conduct First Earth Orbit Flight Next Month... One Step Closer to Mars

Elon Musk, owner of SpaceX and CEO of Tesla.

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Ji-eun] The private space exploration company SpaceX, led by Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, is set to launch its lunar and Martian exploration spacecraft, 'Starship,' on its first Earth orbit flight.

According to major foreign media on the 6th (local time), Musk stated on his social media on the 5th, "If the remaining tests go well, we will attempt to launch Starship next month." Earlier, Musk had also mentioned in January that a March launch of Starship was highly likely.

Currently, SpaceX is preparing a test flight to place the reusable spacecraft Starship into Earth orbit within this year, having obtained approval from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Based on this, SpaceX plans to send Starship to Mars by 2050.

For the first orbital flight, SpaceX will launch the test model 'Starship24' atop the largest and most powerful rocket it has developed, the Super Heavy prototype 'Booster7.'

If the orbital flight proceeds as planned, the Starship launched from Texas will complete one orbit around the Earth and then splash down in the Pacific Ocean near Hawaii.