SpaceX, the space company led by Elon Musk, postponed the first Earth orbit test flight of the spacecraft 'Starship,' which was scheduled for the 17th (local time), just before the launch.
According to CNN and other outlets, SpaceX was planning to launch Starship at around 8:20 a.m. on the 17th from the space launch facility 'Starbase' on the southern coast of Boca Chica, Texas. Starship is a spacecraft developed to send people and cargo to the Moon and Mars. However, with the countdown nearing its end, SpaceX announced the postponement of the test flight.
The launch delay was reported to be due to a pressurization system issue in the rocket's first-stage booster. Before the postponement decision, Musk tweeted, "The valve that pressurizes appears to be frozen," adding, "Unless it starts working soon, today's launch will not happen."
Accordingly, the next launch attempt is expected to be possible after 48 hours. SpaceX stated that a retry might only be possible on Wednesday (the 19th), 48 hours later, but added, "We are not certain. It will depend on the data confirmed from today's attempt."
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