SpaceX is set to conduct the first orbital flight test of a fully integrated Starship spacecraft and Super Heavy rocket — together called Starship — on April 17, 2023.
The 150-minute test window for the launch of Starship from Starbase in Texas will open at 7:00 am CT (5:30 pm IST) on April 17, SpaceX said in a statement.
Starship has been fully stacked at Starbase, one of the world’s first commercial spaceports designed for orbital missions, and is the site for development and manufacturing of Starship.
SpaceX will stream a live webcast of the orbital flight test about 45 minutes before liftoff.
People can watch the launch online on the official YouTube channel of SpaceX, or on the SpaceX website.
SpaceX has completed several sub-orbital flight tests of Starship’s upper stage, or the Starship spacecraft, from Starbase. These flight tests successfully demonstrated an unprecedented approach to controlled flight, and helped validate the vehicle’s design.
The tests have proved that Starship can fly through the subsonic phase (relating to flying at speeds less than that of sound) of entry, or atmospheric entry, before re-lighting its engines and flipping itself to a vertical configuration for landing, SpaceX said on its website.
SpaceX has also conducted several tests of Starship’s first stage, or the Super Heavy rocket. These tests include the increasingly complex static fires that led to a full-duration 31-Raptor engine test in February 2023. With this test, SpaceX set a record for the largest number of simultaneous rocket engine ignitions in history.
The launch and catch tower is 146 metres tall, and is designed to support vehicle integration, launch and catch of the Super Heavy rocket, which is also the booster of the Starship system. However, SpaceX will not attempt a vertical landing of Starship or a catch of the Super Heavy booster for the first orbital flight test.
