Elon Musk’s aerospace manufacturer and space transportation company SpaceX has postponed the hugely anticipated first test flight of its Starship rocket. The maiden orbital test flight of what is said to be the most powerful rocket ever built was set to occur on Monday. But with under 15 minutes left in the countdown, the company noted that it was “scrubbing the launch.”
“With a test such as this, success is measured by how much we can learn, which will inform and improve the probability of success in the future as SpaceX rapidly advances the development of Starship,” SpaceX noted. However, it is evident that such is not to be, today. SpaceX CEO Elon Musk also announced the same in a tweet. It came soon after he tweeted the Starship would achieve liftoff in “T minus 1 hour,” and that the “cryogenic propellant load of Starship is underway.”
A pressurant valve appears to be frozen, so unless it starts operating soon, no launch today
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 17, 2023
No exact date has been finally announced for the test flight, however, Kate Tice (Manager, Quality Systems Engineering at SpaceX) said the company expects the new launch to occur in 48 hours. This puts the next probable date of the launch on Wednesday, April 19. It will depend on the data collected by SpaceX from today’s attempt. “Learned a lot today, now offloading propellant, retrying in a few days…” Musk tweeted.
Learned a lot today, now offloading propellant, retrying in a few days …
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 17, 2023
The news has disappointed many who were eagerly anticipating the test flight, which would have served as the stepping stone for the next stage of humanity’s spacefaring journey. Both SpaceX and the larger space community had been waiting eagerly for a successful launch, which would have served as the prelude to the Starship transporting cargo and astronauts beyond the blue planet.
However, on the very threshold of the commencing of the successful launch, the company’s flight director decided “to stop the launch for today” due to an issue with the pressurization system in the Super Heavy booster. According to SpaceX’s principal integration engineer, Insprucker, the team responsible for the first stage of the Starship rocket is currently addressing a problem with pressurization. This issue must be resolved in order for the launch to proceed, since otherwise, today’s activities will serve as a wet dress rehearsal.
Additionally, Insprucker mentioned that the company is in communication with the U.S. Coast Guard regarding a boat that has entered the safety perimeter, but SpaceX is working to ensure that it will be removed from the area in time for the launch.
For those who are unaware, SpaceX planned to place the Starship on top of the Super Heavy booster, which would propel it to a maximum height of approximately 146 miles above Earth. Once in orbit, the Starship and the booster will separate, and the latter is expected to drop in the Gulf of Mexico, 20 miles from Boca Chica. As for the Starship, it will continue its journey in space before landing in the Pacific Ocean, approximately 140 miles away from the coast of Oahu, Hawaii.
This is a developing story. More to follow…
