It had enough to make hundreds of thousands of Internet users impatient. Starship, the “ship” supposed to prepare SpaceX’s trip to Mars, delayed its launch yesterday in Texas, before finally cutting any situation … at the last second.
On YouTube, this sixth full-scale Starship test flight was to be a first: after making small flights a few hundred meters above the ground, SpaceX’s rocket was to propel itself at 12.5 this time. kilometers high, an altitude slightly higher than that of an airliner.
But finally, after two delayed take-off times, it was around 4:35 p.m. (local time in Texas, 11:35 p.m. in France) that SpaceX decided to start the final count. A successful procedure until the last second, when the timer stopped in connection with the stopping of the rocket motors. “They stopped before igniting” says Victor Tangermann, journalist at Futurism.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nf83yzzme2I
If the problem that caused (or resulted in) the engine stopping is resolved, a new count will take place today. The weather would be good and everything would suggest that the test launch will not be delayed any longer. Despite everything, SpaceX remained very discreet after the event, only informing Internet users on the live YouTube that the test was over for the day and that Starship was going to stay on the ground.
In the long wait for a historic take-off
Once this take-off and landing is successful, SpaceX will still be a long way from his goal with Starship. The rocket will be far from being operational yet, but its program is primarily aimed at 2024 to serve the return of the Americans to the lunar surface with NASA. Then, this vessel with the many fantasies of its designers would likely be a foretaste of what will be used for a trip to Mars.
Out on the pad in South Texas pic.twitter.com/RcYOXXpTc2
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 7, 2020
With such a program, there is no doubt that from a media point of view this launch will be watched. Still as optimistic (or utopian), Elon Musk spoke about space travel again last week, showing his resolve to the idea that “The first humans should arrive on Mars in 4 to 6 years ».
It will certainly take a little more patience for the timing. On YouTube, in addition to the SpaceX live which only started a few minutes before departure, several other enthusiasts and specialists will have spent almost the entire day filling their stream while waiting for takeoff. “Automatic surrender of the Raptor at T-1 second”, ended up writing SpaceX on Twitter, evoking the nickname given to its three main engines.
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