SpaceX conducted its first static launch test on the Mars Starship SN15 prototype, in which the three Raptor engines of the stainless steel spacecraft ignited briefly, while the spacecraft remained anchored to the ground at the SpaceX site in South Texas, near Boca Chica Village on the Gulf Coast.
According to the American space website, the SN15 will not remain tied to the ground for long, as the launch of the silent day was a major exit sign before a high-altitude test flight, which will take the craft about 6.2 miles in the skies over Texas soon, most likely at a time. What from this week.
The SN15 will be the fifth prototype of the spacecraft to attempt this flight in less than five months, with the other four flying well to the end, failing to hold on to the landing and ending up collapsing in pieces.
SpaceX is developing the Starship vehicle to transport people and cargo to the Moon, Mars, and other distant destinations, and the final system will consist of a 165-foot (50 meters) spacecraft called the Starship, which NASA recently selected as the moon lander for its manned Artemis program, alongside a giant booster craft In the first stage it is known as Super Heavy.
Elon Musk, founder and CEO of SpaceX, said both elements would be fully and quickly reusable, which could significantly reduce the cost of spaceflight.
SpaceX expects the Starship and Super Heavy to be operational soon; Musk recently said he believes the final system will be fully operational by 2023.
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