SpaceX is set to attempt its third test flight of the Starship spacecraft on Tuesday, just 24 hours after poor weather conditions forced the halt of liftoff from its South Texas site.
The mission will be crucial in Elon Musk’s plans to use Starship to send astronauts to the moon and eventually conquer Mars. SpaceX initially faced setbacks including multiple fiery explosions, with flights 7, 8, and 9 ending in failure earlier this year. Another rocket exploded on a test stand in June.
Despite these failures, SpaceX has pressed on, citing each setback as part of the learning curve for its powerful 403-foot rocket. The company says that success comes from what it learns from these challenges.
The focus of Tuesday’s test mission is on the spacecraft’s upper stage, designed to carry crew and cargo into space before returning to Earth with a controlled descent into the Gulf of Mexico. A successful test would mark a step forward in proving the system’s reusability, key to Musk’s vision of affordable space travel.
Source: https://www.foxnews.com/us/spacex-prepares-third-attempt-crucial-starship-test-flight-after-weather-issues