On Monday, the company may be given the go-ahead to conduct the first launch of its next- generation rocket that could one day launch astronauts to Mars.
The private space company led by Musk is waiting on a decision from the FAA, which has spent months assessing the suitability of the Boca Chica facility in Texas as a site for orbital launches.
The FAA said at the end of May that it would need another couple of weeks to complete its Programmatic Environmental Assessment, the results of which will determine if the spaceship can be launched from Boca Chica.
The FAA needs more time to complete consultations with a range of government departments and finish reviewing all of the public comments that were submitted during the assessment process.
The flight system, which includes the Super Heavy first stage and the Starship upper stage, will have to be transported from Boca Chica to the Kennedy Space Center if Monday's decision goes against the company.
The Super Heavy booster is yet to fly despite several high altitude test flights.
The first test flight of the entire vehicle could happen in the next couple of months if the FAA approves the project. The entire mission is expected to take around 90 minutes, with the Super Heavy being used to propel the Starship into space.
Musk is trying to get the rocket off the ground and into space.
33 Raptor rocket engines, each producing 230 metric tons of force pic.twitter.com/flQLb62MgZ
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 11, 2022
By the end of this decade, NASA hopes to have a system in place for crewed missions to the moon and eventually to Mars.
There is a recommended video.
All Rights Reserved © 2024
