Science – The first test flight of the delayed Starship missile system – Wikiwand

Sciences:The first test flight of the Starship missile system has been postponed.

Apr 17, 2023 at 3:54 p.m

SpaceX’s “Starship”: Overall, the system is 120 meters high and should be able to carry more than 100 tons of cargo. Photo: Eric Gay/AP/dpa (Photo: dpa)

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BROWNSVILLE (AP) — The first test flight of the largest ever rocket system in space history has been delayed at short notice. The Starship rocket system from Elon Musk’s private space company SpaceX was to take off on its first short test flight in Brownsville, Texas.

However, shortly before the scheduled launch, a valve problem arose and SpaceX decided to delay the test launch, according to the company’s live stream and Twitter.

Another test could start in 48 hours at the earliest – it’s not yet clear when this should happen. “The team is working towards the next opportunity available,” SpaceX said. The “Starship” rocket system – consisting of the approximately 70-meter “Super Heavy” booster and the approximately 50-meter-long upper stage, also called the “Starship”, is intended to enable manned missions to the Moon and Mars in the future. The “Starship” system is designed in such a way that the spaceship and rocket can be reused after returning to Earth.