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Elon Musk owned-SpaceX will be launching its powerful Spaceship spacecraft in the coming six to eight weeks, the billionaire informed during a Twitter Spaces chat on Saturday. The April 20 liftoff of Starship, which can take astronauts to the Moon and back did not end in the way desired as it exploded minutes after liftoff in a test flight.
Musk, during the Twitter chat, said 30 out of 33 engines of Starship worked perfectly and reached ‘full thrust’, which was perhaps the reason the concrete launchpad was destroyed. Musk added that the pad damage was “quite small” and that it would take “six to eight weeks” to get the infrastructure prepared for another launch.
“The outcome was roughly in (line) with what I expected and, maybe slightly exceeded my expectations,” said the SpaceX CEO.
“The vehicle structural margins appear to be better than we expected. As we can tell the vehicle is actually doing somersaults towards the end and still staying intact.”
FAA approval required
However, SpaceX is not allowed a relaunch opportunity until the Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) completes its review that “will determine the root cause of the event and identify corrective actions the operator must implement to avoid a recurrence”.
“We aren’t going to speculate on timelines. Safety will dictate the timeline,” stated the FAA.
WATCH | SpaceX’s Starship rocket lifts off for inaugural test flight
After the explosion, SpaceX stated, “Vehicle experienced multiple engines out during the flight test, lost altitude, and began to tumble.”
Meanwhile, Musk congratulated employees and said he’s optimistic about the program’s progress. Many called it Musk’s way of turning setbacks into ‘successful failures.’
SpaceX asks people to contact about debris
After the launch, the debris from the rocket has been washing up on the shores surrounding the Starbase launch facility in Boca Chica, Texas.
SpaceX has asked people not to handle or retrieve the debris of the Starship, and contact the company on its hotline at 1-866-623-0234 or email the information to recovery@spacex.com.
“Teams are actively monitoring both message boxes and will ensure the notification is handled appropriately. We are unable to respond to every message received, but our teams will reach out as appropriate,” SpaceX officials wrote. “If you have concerns about an immediate hazard, please contact your local law enforcement agency.”
ALSO READ | Found a piece of Starship? SpaceX would like to have it back
SpaceX is the biggest rocket ever to have been built. According to Musk, Starship has the capability of being reused which could bring down the costs and help humanity set civilisation on alien planets, such as Mars.
(With inputs from agencies)
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