Musk's Megarocket Confronts Key New Test After Setbacks
Upcoming Starship Test: A Crucial Step for SpaceX Elon Musk's SpaceX is preparing for the tenth test flight of its Starship megarocket, marking a significant moment in the company’s ambitious space exploration journey. This upcoming mission comes after several recent setbacks that have sparked questions about the project’s future. Scheduled to launch from the company’s Starbase facility in southern Texas at 6:30 pm local time (2330 GMT), the test aims to push the upper stage of the rocket through a series of rigorous trials. The upper stage will travel halfway around the world before splashing down in the Indian Ocean. Notably, this time, SpaceX will not attempt to catch the booster stage using the launch tower’s giant "chopstick" arms, a departure from previous attempts. Starship plays a pivotal role in Musk’s vision of colonizing Mars. Additionally, NASA has plans to use a modified version of the rocket as the Artemis lunar lander, aiming to return Americans to the M...