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SpaceX's most powerful rocket ever built is now even bigger and more powerful. But will it work?
The Version 3 prototype adds lighter Raptor engines and a taller design as SpaceX seeks to solve key lunar mission challenges.
- On Thursday, SpaceX scrubbed its Starship megarocket test flight after a pin holding the launch tower's arm failed to retract, scheduling another attempt for the following day at 7:30 p.m. EST.
- SpaceX employs a 'rapid iterative development' strategy, maintaining that explosive errors are integral to its engineering approach to accelerate design adjustments more cheaply than traditional aerospace methods.
- The new Version 3 prototype features head-to-toe upgrades, with 33 Raptor engines each delivering more than 50,000 additional pounds of force at liftoff, according to SpaceX.
- Sean Duffy, who briefly served as NASA's acting administrator last year, announced the agency will use whichever lander—SpaceX's or Jeff Bezos-founded Blue Origin's—is ready first for the 2028 mission.
- Competition intensifies as China plans to land taikonauts on the moon by 2030, while NASA lacks a functional landing vehicle despite celebrating the recent Artemis II mission.
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SpaceX's most powerful rocket ever built is now even bigger and more powerful. But will it work?
The launch of SpaceX's biggest rocket was set for 7:30 p.m. EST on Thursday. The countdown stalled at 40 seconds to launch due to an issue, before being scrubbed minutes later.
·Boston, United States
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