Elon Musk-possessed SpaceX recently made the third test flight of its spacecraft and is preparing for the next test. On Saturday, the billionaire outlined the goal of the next mission.
What happened: In a post on X on Saturday, Musk said: “At 5,000 tons, Starship is the largest flying object ever made.” He noted that the thrust is more than double the Saturn V moon rocket and is the first spaceship design “capable of making life multiplanetary.”
As the Starship prepares for its next mission, Musk said, “The goal of the next mission is to overcome the meteorically extreme heat of reentry.”
Because it is important: Starship is a powerful launch vehicle developed by SpaceX capable of carrying up to 100 people on long-duration interplanetary flights. It is also intended for satellite delivery, moon base development and point-to-point transport to Earth.
Earlier this month, Starship reached orbital velocity for the first time on its third test flight from SpaceX’s production and test launch facilities near Boca Chica Beach in South Texas. SpaceX commentators said mission control lost communication with Starship from two satellite systems simultaneously while the spacecraft was re-entering the planet’s atmosphere at hypersonic speed.
Ahead of the next Starship flight, SpaceX announced On Monday he fired up all six Raptor engines.
Typically, during pre-launch testing, the engines fire briefly while the vehicle remains docked to the pad. The fourth flight is expected to take place in early May.
Read next: Want to invest in SpaceX? An IPO seems inevitable, but in the meantime, bet on private equity
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