"Starship V3 first flight in about 4 weeks, which means a launch next month. Unless Musk's emissions are, er, a little too optimistic. On January 26, Musk posted, 'Starship launch in 6 weeks,' which means the test flight should have happened by now. It hasn't."
"The Block 3 version of Starship features new engines, the Raptor 3, as well as design changes aimed at handling refueling in space, tweaks to the thermal protection, and aerodynamic updates. SpaceX will also have to repeat the sub-orbital mission from the last of the Block 2 boosters before it can move on to orbital operations."
"SpaceX has a long way to go if they want the HLS variant of Starship ready for NASA's 2027 Artemis III mission and an Apollo 9-style shakedown of the Moon landing technology in Low Earth Orbit."
SpaceX has positioned a Super Heavy booster at Pad 2 in Texas for preflight testing ahead of a planned Starship V3 launch in April. Elon Musk announced the timeline on social media, though previous launch predictions have slipped significantly. The Block 3 version features new Raptor 3 engines and design improvements for in-space refueling and thermal protection. Of five suborbital tests in 2025, only the last two succeeded, and a booster ruptured during testing in November. SpaceX must complete additional suborbital missions before attempting orbital operations. NASA, which relies on Starship's Human Landing System for the 2027 Artemis III mission, faces uncertainty regarding the vehicle's readiness for lunar landing operations.
Read at Theregister
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]