If you’re wondering what happened to the spacecraft, rest assured that SpaceX engineers are still working to get it back in the air soon.
In fact, in a post on X on Saturday, SpaceX boss Elon Musk confirmed an earlier target window for the 12th launch of the most powerful rocket: next month.
If that happens, the spacecraft could lift off from SpaceX’s Starbase site near Boca Chica, Texas, within weeks, offering onlookers and online viewers a spectacular display of raw rocket power.
The 12th Starship flight is particularly special as it is a new version – the third – of the first stage Super Heavy booster, which lifts the upper stage ship into space.
Version 3 of the Starship rocket is 124.4 meters high, just over a meter higher than its predecessor. The engines have also been upgraded in performance, with a number of design changes that will improve the rocket’s overall performance.
This year promises to be an exciting one for the spacecraft as SpaceX focuses heavily on preparing it for a trip to the moon as part of the Artemis III mission.
First, it must complete a series of key milestones, including reaching the ship’s orbit, refueling the ship in Earth orbit, and then landing back in Boca Chica, similar to the landing of the Super Heavy booster.
The Artemis III mission is currently scheduled for 2027, but that date could be delayed due to technical problems with the rocket. NASA wants to land two astronauts on the lunar surface using a modified version of the spacecraft. This would be the first manned moon landing since 1972.
The astronauts will travel to lunar orbit not aboard the spacecraft, but aboard an Orion spacecraft launched by NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket. Once in lunar orbit, they will transfer to SpaceX’s spacecraft and descend to the lunar surface.
The same Orion spacecraft will carry its first crew on a trip around the moon as part of the Artemis II mission, which will pave the way for the Artemis III lunar landing in a few years.
