Elon Musk hopes lightning will strike twice.
SpaceX is set to test its massive Starship rocket next week following a successful catch of its Super Heavy booster by the “Mechazilla” arms last month.
It will mark the company’s fastest turnaround yet for the rocket designed to take humans back to the moon — and eventually Mars.
SpaceX CEO Elon Musk said Starship’s sixth test is scheduled for Monday, with the rocket set to take off at the Starbase launchpad in south Texas at 5 p.m. local time.
The company is hoping to repeat October’s success, which saw the 232-foot Super Heavy booster rocket fly back to the launchpad seven minutes after take off, where it was caught by the mechanical arms on the launch tower so it can be re-used.
Starship is the most powerful launch vehicle ever developed.
SpaceX touted that they’ve learned a lot from last month’s test, with the company confident they can succeed again following upgrades to the booster’s propulsion systems.
“The next Starship flight test aims to expand the envelope on ship and booster capabilities and get closer to bringing reuse of the entire system,” the company said in a statement.
Starship is designed to be fully and rapidly reusable, saving SpaceX significantly on cost and resources, which would aid the company in reaching its ultimate goal of pioneering travel to the moon and Mars.
SpaceX has had five previous Starship test flights, starting in April 2023, with each test steadily resulting in progress.
During the first two attempts, in April and November of last year, engine failures derailed the mission before the craft got off the launchpad.
In March, the Starship was successfully launched, but the Falcon Super Heavy booster was destroyed about 460 meters above the ocean and did not return to Earth as planned. The Starship is believed to have disintegrated before its planned splashdown.
The fourth test launch, held in June, saw a successful launch and a controlled splashdown of its booster in the Gulf of Mexico and the craft itself in the Indian Ocean.
NASA is pinning its hopes on Starship’s success in order to use the craft for a return to the moon, which is being planned for 2027-2028.
