SpaceX is set to launch its seventh test flight of the Starship megarocket, a 400-foot-tall rocket that will be the biggest and most powerful ever built. The launch, scheduled for Thursday at 5 p.m. EST, marks the next step in the development of this reusable spacecraft.
The Starship consists of two stages: a giant booster called Super Heavy and a 165-foot-tall spacecraft. Both stages are designed to be fully and rapidly reusable. On its seventh flight, Starship will deploy ten mock versions of SpaceX’s Starlink internet satellites into space.
Unlike previous flights, the company plans not to catch the dummy spacecraft with the launch tower’s “chopstick” arms on this occasion. Instead, they will follow the spacecraft’s trajectory and splash down in the Indian Ocean about an hour after liftoff.
The successful completion of Flight 7 is expected to be a crucial step towards bringing reusable systems online for Starship. With its goal of sending humans and cargo to Earth orbit, the moon, and Mars, SpaceX plans to make significant progress on the megarocket in the coming weeks and months.
Viewers can watch the launch live at Space.com or directly via the SpaceX website.
Source: https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/spacex-launching-starship-flight-7-today-watch-it-live