SpaceX is reportedly delaying the seventh launch of its Starship megarocket by 48 hours, the company announced the news of the delay on X. However, the Elon Musk-led spaceflight company declined to share a reason.
The Starship which was initially about to take off today, Jan. 13, was announced to instead launch on Jan. 15, Wednesday. The spaceflight company announced that its upcoming test will launch a new version of the Starship spacecraft with important upgrades. It will also release 10 fake satellites that are the same size and weight as the future Starlink satellites.
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This mission will be the first time the Starship carries and deploys satellites in space, which is a big step forward in making it a vehicle for launching satellites.
Musk and Congress have had a few disagreements over the focus of U.S. space exploration, particularly about whether to prioritize the Moon or Mars. Musk, the CEO of SpaceX, has long advocated for focusing on Mars, arguing that establishing a human presence on the Red Planet is crucial for the survival of humanity. He sees Mars as a backup for Earth in case of catastrophic events and believes SpaceX’s technology, such as the Starship rocket, is key to achieving this goal.
On the other hand, Congress has been more focused on the Moon. The U.S. government’s space policy, through NASA’s Artemis program, aims to return astronauts to the Moon by the mid-2020s and set up a sustainable base. Congress sees the Moon as a stepping stone for further exploration, including Mars, and a practical target for achieving technological and scientific goals before aiming for the more distant challenge of Mars.
Musk’s Starship megarocket is a massive, fully reusable spacecraft designed by SpaceX. It’s intended to carry both crew and cargo to destinations like the Moon, Mars, and beyond. The Starship system consists of two parts: the Super Heavy booster, which provides the initial lift-off, and the Starship spacecraft itself, which is the upper stage that carries payloads and people.
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The Starship megarocket is designed to be much larger and more powerful than current rockets, capable of carrying up to 100 tons into space. Musk envisions it as a key part of his plan to make human life multi-planetary, with Mars being a primary target. SpaceX plans to use Starship for a wide range of missions, from satellite launches to interplanetary travel and even space tourism.
Starship has been through several test flights and development stages, and SpaceX continues to refine it with the goal of making it a reliable and cost-effective tool for space exploration.