Elon Musk's Starship first orbital launch will be in April



by   |  VIEW 314

Elon Musk's Starship first orbital launch will be in April
Elon Musk's Starship first orbital launch will be in April (Provided by Rapusia Blog)

Starship, the SpaceX spacecraft, owned by Elon Musk, will perform the first orbital launch in April 2023. Musk had announced that the first useful window would open around the end of the third week of the month, due to the fact that they awaited clearances from the Federal Aviation Administration.

Starship consists of two distinct parts, the Super Heavy launch rocket and the actual spacecraft, 50 meters high. They are both stainless steel and reusable. The rocket has 33 latest-generation Raptor boosters, while the spacecraft has six.

This is a new configuration because the Falcons use Merlin engines. The ultimate goal of this pair of aircraft will be to bring people to Mars in the future. Mars represents the most ambitious goal of space exploration and Musk has every intention of taking it, despite the multiple logistical and organizational problems for such a journey, which also generates considerable headaches for NASA.

Before reaching the big target, there are various steps to overcome and the first orbital launch scheduled for April is a fundamental element. Musk recently said that the chances of success of the first orbital launch are 50 percent, but also that 80 percent will be able to reach this goal by the end of the year, thanks to the various Starships under construction at Starbase, the base of launch where the lift-off will occur.

Many have thought that Musk could launch Starship on April 20, a date that the entrepreneur particularly loves and on which he has made several jokes over the years. But there is a possibility that the launch could take place even earlier than expected, or between 6 and 12 April.

ùSpaceX designed Starship like its previous spacecraft, such as the famous Falcon 9 rocket, which is capable of returning to Earth after landing on special floating barges. For the return of these vessels, the blocking of maritime traffic is arranged as a matter of practice.

Knowing that in April there will be the potential first orbital launch of Starship, it is not far-fetched to imagine that it was scheduled between the 6th and 12th of the month.