After back-to-back scrubs, SpaceX is aiming to launch its Starship rocket on Tuesday and hoping to finally break a streak of failed test flights.
SpaceX’s Starship is set for liftoff during a launch window that opens at 7:30 p.m. ET on Tuesday, August 26. The rocket was originally scheduled to fly this past Sunday, but the launch was delayed twice, further building anticipation for Starship’s chance to redeem itself and achieve its mission objectives after three less-than-ideal flights this year.
The launch will be streamed live on SpaceX’s website, as well as the company’s account on X. You can also tune in through the third-party live feeds below.
Sunday’s launch was called off minutes before its scheduled liftoff “to allow time to troubleshoot an issue with ground systems,” the company explained over X. SpaceX attempted to launch Starship on Monday as well, but its rocket’s test flight was delayed due to unfavorable weather.
On a bit of losing streak
There’s a lot hanging on Starship’s upcoming flight as the company races to prove that its megarocket can fly a mission to Mars in 2026. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) granted SpaceX the green light for Starship’s upcoming flight after concluding the investigation into Flight 9, which took place on May 27 and ended with the vehicle breaking apart during reentry. For Tuesday’s launch, SpaceX has integrated hardware and operational changes into its rocket to avoid any more mishaps.
Following an impressive demonstration of Starship’s reusability last year, the rocket has struggled to meet its mission objectives, enduring a string of failed flights that began in January.
The rocket’s seventh test flight ended with Starship’s upper stage exploding roughly eight-and-a-half minutes after launch. Starship’s upper stage met a similar fate during its eighth test flight in March when six of its nine Raptor engines died during the ascent burn. For its most recent flight, SpaceX traced the anomaly to damage to a composite overwrapped pressure vessel (COPV), which stores nitrogen in Starship’s payload bay. In order to address the issue ahead of Tuesday’s launch, the rocket’s COPV will operate at a reduced pressure.
The upcoming flight will also attempt similar mission objectives to the previous ones, namely attempting to deploy 10 Starlink simulators, each similar in size and weight to the company’s next-generation satellites. Rather than remaining in orbit, these Starlinks are designed to follow a suborbital trajectory and are expected to burn up during reentry.
Mechazilla not needed
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