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SpaceX triumphantly launches Starship while Trump, Musk observe
SpaceX aimed to replicate a catching maneuver using mechanical arms which it successfully executed in October.
SpaceX’s seventh trial flight has been delayed and is now set for Wednesday, Jan. 15.
The Starship flight, the inaugural one in 2025, was initially planned for Monday afternoon. Following a short hold-up, the year ahead is gearing up to be a crucial one for Starship, the sizeable spacecraft managed by billionaire Elon Musk‘s SpaceX.
What caused the postponement of the launch, and what is the new timetable? Here is what we understand.
What led to SpaceX’s rescheduling of the Starship launch?
SpaceX announced the revised launch date on X Saturday night, following the flight rehearsal test. This kind of rehearsal is also referred to as a “wet dress rehearsal,” which AutoEvolution notes as “simulating nearly all the stages of a launch, without the actual ignition.”
While the precise explanations behind the delay have not been explicitly stated, adverse weather conditions may have influenced the decision. SpaceX’s Starbase, located in Boca Chica near Brownsville, has faced rainy and windy conditions to commence the week.
The delay could also relate to a complication identified during Friday’s wet dress rehearsal, which led to the Starship being destacked.
SpaceX plans to attempt booster recovery, Starlink satellite deployment test
The Starship vehicle being prepared for the launch site is a new and refined spacecraft incorporating enhancements to its upper stage and redesigns to its propulsion system and heat shield, as stated by SpaceX.
“All contribute to enhanced vehicle performance and the capability to undertake longer missions,” remarked SpaceX.
During the seventh flight test, mission operators intend for Starship to for the first time try to deploy 10 Starlink simulators, comparable in size and weight to next-gen Starlink satellites. The Starlink simulators will follow the same suborbital path as Starship, aiming for splashdown in the Indian Ocean.
SpaceX aims to repeatedly attempt to return the rocket booster and catch it at the launch pad, which would generate sonic booms in the vicinity of the landing zone. The maneuver, accomplished only once during the October demonstration, was aborted during the previous test in November, which was attended by President-elect Donald Trump.
This time, the catch tower has been upgraded with new equipment aimed at making booster recovery more viable. This includes safeguards for the sensors on the tower’s mechanical arms, referred to as chopsticks, which SpaceX indicated were damaged during the Nov. 19 launch, prompting mission operators to reroute the booster for landing in the Gulf of Mexico.
The Super Heavy rocket booster will be equipped with a Raptor engine from the booster that launched and returned on Starship’s fifth flight test in October — marking the first instance of reusing flight-proven hardware, as stated by SpaceX. The organization also aims to reignite its Raptor engines in space to conduct an orbital burn — a vital maneuver for eventually bringing a vehicle back to the surface.
How to view the Starship launch in Texas
SpaceX will present a livestream of the flight test commencing approximately 35 minutes prior to launch.
The broadcast can be accessed on its website and on the social media outlet X. Coverage will also be made available on SpaceX’s new X TV application.
“Like all developmental testing, the timeline is fluid and subject to modifications, so please check back here and remain updated via our X account for the latest news,” SpaceX mentioned.
SpaceX launch timetable
The schedules for Wednesday’s countdown to launch and the test flight remain unchanged from the original plan, the aerospace firm confirmed. All times reference moments leading up to or after the 4 p.m. launch time.
Countdown
| Hour/Minute/Second | Event |
| 01:15:00 | SpaceX Flight Director conducts a poll to confirm GO for propellant loading |
| 00:44:59 | Ship LOX (liquid oxygen) load in progress |
| 00:42:20 | Ship fuel (liquid methane) loading ongoing |
| 00:41:24 | Booster fuel loading in progress |
| 00:35:28 | Booster LOX loading in progress |
| 00:19:40 | Raptor initiates engine chill on booster and ship |
| 00:03:20 | Ship propellant loading completed |
| 00:02:50 | Booster propellant loading completed |
| 00:00:30 | SpaceX Flight Director confirms GO for launch |
| 00:00:10 | Flame deflector engaged |
| 00:00:03 | Raptor ignition sequence begins |
| 00:00:00 | Excitement assured |
Flight test schedule
| Hour/Minute/Second | Event |
| 00:00:02 | Liftoff |
| 00:01:02 | Max Q (peak aerodynamic stress moment on the rocket) |
| 00:02:32 | Super Heavy MECO (major engine cutoff) |
| 00:02:40 | Hot-staging (Starship Raptor ignition and stage separation) |
| 00:02:46 | Super Heavy boostback burn initiation |
| 00:03:29 | Super Heavy boostback burn cessation |
| 00:03:31 | Hot-stage ejection |
| 00:06:26 | Super Heavy reaches transonic speed |
| 00:06:35 | Super Heavy landing burn commencement |
| 00:06:55 | Super Heavy landing burn cessation and capture |
| 00:08:53 | Starship engine shutdown |
| 00:17:33 | Payload deployment demonstration |
| 00:37:33 | Raptor in-space reignition demonstration |
| 00:47:14 | Starship reentry |
| 01:03:12 | Starship attains transonic speed |
| 01:04:25 | Starship is subsonic |
| 01:06:13 | Landing flip maneuver |
| 01:06:19 | Landing burn execution |
| 01:06:39 | An exhilarating landing! |
— USA TODAY contributed to this report.
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