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SpaceX targets Thursday for new launch attempt of Starship rocket

Published : 19 Apr 2023, 01:06

  DF News Desk
Photo posted on April 6, 2023 shows a SpaceX Starship spacecraft and Super Heavy rocket at the Starbase in Cameron County, Texas, the United States. File Photo: SpaceX via Xinhua.

SpaceX is now targeting Thursday for the launch of its powerful Starship rocket after the first attempt was scrubbed on Monday, reported Xinhua.

The launch, which marks the first flight test of SpaceX's fully integrated Starship and Super Heavy rocket, is now scheduled for Thursday morning from SpaceX' Starbase in U.S. state of Texas.

The 62 minute launch window opens at 8:28 a.m. and closes at 9:30 a.m. Central Time, according to SpaceX.

The first launch attempt on Monday morning was scrubbed due to fueling issues. In the final minutes in the countdown, a pressurant valve appeared to be frozen, according to Elon Musk, founder, CEO and chief engineer of SpaceX.

The launch came after the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration last Friday approved SpaceX's launch of the nearly 120-meter-tall rocket from its Boca Chica Launch Site in Cameron County, Texas.

SpaceX's Starship spacecraft and Super Heavy rocket, collectively referred to as Starship, represent a fully reusable transportation system designed to carry both crew and cargo to Earth orbit, the Moon, Mars and beyond.

Starship will be the world's most powerful launch vehicle ever developed, capable of carrying up to 150 metric tonnes fully reusable and 250 metric tonnes, according to SpaceX.