Elon Musk Reveals Starship Progress
Elon Musk on Monday shared photos of SpaceX engineers installing engine boosters on what he hopes will become the new commercial airplane- a Starship to space.
The 29 Raptor engines were fitted overnight on the Starship launch vehicle that will blast off a 23-story rocket booster for its first orbital flight.
According to CNBC, SpaceX has conducted multiple short test flights of Starship prototypes over the past year, but reaching orbit represents the next step in testing the rocket.
Musk’s company is working on Starship to launch cargo and people on missions to the moon and Mars.
The next step in the testing of SpaceX’s massive rocket is a flight that will launch from its facility in Texas all the way to the coast of Hawaii, the company reported in a Federal Communications Commission filing.
SpaceX is working in coordination with the FCC, U.S. Air Force, NASA and the FAA for the flight that should last about 90 minutes.
However, it remains unclear when the Starship will actually take its first orbital flight since its initial July deadline was not met.