SpaceX has successfully completed an important test of the giant rocket Starship with the “wet dress rehearsal”. The preparations for take-off were played through until shortly before the engines were fired. SpaceX explained on Twitter that the huge rocket was completely filled with fuel for the first time. To check the engines, they will now be taken apart again. Then the preparations for the first orbital flight can be tackled. That could happen in March if everything goes according to plan.
Maiden flight is approaching
The SpaceX Starship is by far the largest rocket in the world, and when assembled it reaches a height of around 120 m. NASA’s SLS (Space Launch System) moon rocket, on the other hand, is only around 100 m high, the Apollo program’s Saturn V was 110 m. Elon Musk presented the first prototype of the Starship in September 2019. After several test flights of prototypes, it is In 2021, after climbing 10 kilometers, one landed safely again. The first test flight is now to lead from the current location in Texas around the world to the Pacific near Hawaii. Despite the delays, the speed with which the development has been pushed forward is immense.
Now that refueling has been successfully rehearsed, the next step is to check the 33 individual engines. To do this, the top step had to be dismantled again. Only then can the giant rocket be finally assembled. SpaceX still needs a permit from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration to launch. Current images from the Airbus satellite Pléiades Neo had made the dimensions of the rocket clear just a few days ago. Above all, the immense shadow makes it clear how high it is. Impressive pictures of the rocket are also always available from SpaceX itself.
(Image: Airbus DS 2023)
(mho)
