SpaceX plans next Starship launch as soon as this month, catching it on land
The mission would be Starship’s first upper-stage land catch and would carry V3 Starlink satellites expected to deliver 10 times more broadband capacity, Musk said.
- SpaceX aims to launch its 14th Starship test flight this month, targeting the first upper-stage land recovery and initial deployment of upgraded V3 Starlink satellites, CEO Elon Musk announced on Tuesday.
- Musk aims to build the world's first fully reusable orbital launch system to significantly expand Starlink's broadband network. Starlink generated $4.3bn in the second quarter, funding the far more expensive Starship and Mars ambitions.
- The upcoming flight will attempt to catch the upper stage with giant mechanical arms attached to the Texas tower. Musk said new V3 satellites are "expected to deliver 10 times the amount of broadband capacity" from current generations.
- Success hinges on receiving regulatory approval, which Musk said remains necessary for the end-of-month launch window. If approved, Musk expects Starship launch frequency to "increase rapidly" following a successful tower catch.
- Musk projects "we will be doing at least one flight a day, possibly more" within a year as SpaceX pursues full reusability. The company's advantage positions it to support NASA's Moon and Mars missions.
28 Articles
28 Articles
The company will try to get the tower to capture the upper stage, while Super Heavy will amerize in the Gulf of Mexico
SpaceX has solved Starship’s biggest challenge, Elon Musk says
Elon Musk has declared that SpaceX has effectively solved one of Starship’s most persistent engineering challenges: the reliability of its heat shield tiles. During the company’s first-ever Earnings Call, the SpaceX CEO stated: “I don’t want to jinx it or anything, but I think I would call the heat shield problem solved at this point. All indications from data and visual inspection is we have solved it. That doesn’t mean we won’t make improvemen…
‘We all know something's happening’: Pecan Island residents react to potential SpaceX spaceport
Betty Cormier tended the counter Tuesday at the Pecan Island Food Store, a quiet storefront and gas station on state highway 82 in the southern reaches of Vermilion Parish.
Coverage Details
Bias Distribution
- 42% of the sources are Center
Factuality
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
