US Federal Aviation Administration Sets Tentative Launch for Morning of 17th
SpaceX's spacecraft 'Starship,' developed for lunar and deep space travel, is scheduled to conduct an Earth orbit test flight as early as the 17th.
According to Space.com and others on the 7th (local time), the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has tentatively set the launch window for Starship between 7 a.m. and 11 a.m. on the 17th, with backup launch dates from the 18th to the 21st. Although a tentative launch target has been established, the FAA has not yet issued formal launch approval documents.
SpaceX uploaded a photo of the launch-ready Starship on Twitter, drawing attention to the upcoming first Earth orbit flight.
Elon Musk, SpaceX founder and Tesla CEO, tweeted, "If approved, the launch could happen next week." Starship is awaiting launch approval at the 'Starbase' space launch facility in Boca Chica, Texas.
Starship consists of a large first-stage rocket booster called 'Super Heavy' and the second-stage rocket, which is also the spacecraft itself. After launch, it will orbit the Earth for 90 minutes before splashing down in the Pacific Ocean near the Hawaiian island of Kauai.
In an interview last month, CEO Musk also expressed hope that there is an 80% chance of a successful orbital flight within this year.
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