SpaceX could perform Starship’s first orbital flight test as early as the following week. On Thursday, the private space firm tweeted new photos of the super-heavy-lift rocket at its Boca Chica facility in Texas. “Fully stacked Starship at Starbase,” SpaceX said of the images. “The team is working towards a launch rehearsal next week, followed by Starship’s first integrated flight test ~ a week later, pending regulatory approval.” That same day, SpaceX owner Elon Musk offered an even more aggressive timeline. “Starship is stacked and ready to launch next week, pending regulatory approval,” he said. said on Twitter.
Fully stacked Starship on Starbase. The team is working towards a launch rehearsal next week, followed by Starship’s first integrated flight test ~ a week later, pending regulatory approval. pic.twitter.com/9VbJLppswp
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) April 6, 2023
The date of Starship’s first orbital flight has been a moving target for nearly two years. In early February, a week after SpaceX successfully carried out the rocket’s first stacked fueling test, Musk said the company would try to launch Starship in March if the remaining tests went well. Days later, SpaceX attempted to statically fire all 33 of the vehicle’s Raptor first-stage engines, something it hadn’t attempted to do before. The test was a critical step toward Starship’s first orbital flight, though the rocket didn’t exactly pass the test, as two engines failed before the end of firing.
Still, the timeline Musk shared this week may be too optimistic. According space.com, the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has set a tentative launch window of April 17 for Starship. However, the outlet reports that the FAA has yet to grant SpaceX a launch license for the rocket, something it will need to do before Starship can legally fly.
