SpaceX’s highly anticipated “Starship” launch was delayed due to a pressure valve issue, according to SpaceX founder Elon Musk. The Starship, which is expected to be the most powerful rocket ever, consists of a passenger spacecraft and a super-heavy rocket booster. The launch was originally scheduled to be the company’s first attempt to send a Starship into orbit.
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The Starship is designed to separate from the booster rocket after about 3 minutes of flight and reach orbital speed. Its first flight test won’t complete a full low-Earth orbit and will fly about 150 miles above the Earth’s surface before splashing down in the Pacific Ocean near Hawaii. The entire flight is expected to last only 90 minutes.
Musk hopes that the Starship will bring humanity closer to the goal of sending humans to Mars. However, during an online discussion the day before the launch, he tried to lower expectations for the test, saying, “I think I just want to set the expectations low.” He added that as long as the launch pad doesn’t blow up, he’ll consider it a success.
Despite the delay, Musk remains optimistic and says that his team has learned a lot from the experience. They will now offload propellant and retry the launch in a few days. SpaceX has been making headlines with its ambitious plans for space travel and exploration, and the Starship is just one of its many projects.