SpaceX is about to launch its Starship rocket for the twelfth time, this time a new version of the giant vehicle will take to the skies.
The launch team just completed a crucial test of the spacecraft’s first stage – the Super Heavy – at its starbase in Boca Chica, Texas.
A short video and some images (below) of the most powerful booster ever built were shared with the message: “Cryosafe operations were completed for the first time with a Super Heavy V3 booster. This multi-day campaign tested the booster’s redesigned fuel systems and its structural strength.”
No anomalies have been reported, so hopefully the booster will be well prepared for a static fire test in the coming days.
Attention will then turn to the upper stage ship, which will also undergo pre-flight testing before being elevated to the Super Heavy in preparation for launch.
According to a recent post on X by Elon Musk, the company’s CEO, SpaceX is planning its 12th Starship test flight in March.
The updated spacecraft, known as Version 3, is about a meter taller than its 123-meter-tall predecessor and features more powerful engines and a number of design changes to improve performance.
In an update on Sunday that surprised many, Musk said SpaceX was shifting its near-term focus to building a self-sustaining city on the moon, shelving its previously stated goal of building a city on Mars.
The CEO said the lunar plan is achievable in less than 10 years, with the moon offering a faster orbit due to frequent launch windows (every 10 days compared to Mars’ 26-month alignment) and shorter trips (2 days compared to 6 months).
There is also the additional challenge of getting humans safely to the Red Planet, a feat that has yet to be mastered.
SpaceX’s Mars City efforts will continue as part of a long-term plan, while the company will continue its involvement in NASA’s Artemis lunar program with Starship.
