The owner of SpaceX, Elon Musk, and his long-awaited rocket Starship, which has been ascribed to the title of “the most powerful rocket in the world”, would try to launch into space today. Space enthusiasts around the world also turned to the launch test from Boca Chica, Texas. However, an unexpected development occurred.
DELAYED
Starship’s launch attempt has been delayed. The final minutes of the launch countdown were considered a rehearsal and a test of procedures.
WHY WAS STARSHIP’S LAUNCH ATTEMPT DELAYED?
It appears that the frozen valve is the reason why the Starship launch attempt stopped.
Because Elon Musk, owner of SpaceX, said in a statement on Twitter that “a pressure valve looks like it’s frozen” and that this is the reason for today’s delay.
A pressurant valve appears to be frozen, so unless it starts operating soon, no launch today
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 17, 2023
MUSK SAID
According to the BBC’s report, Musk had previously called for keeping expectations low about today’s trial and stated that they would delay the launch in case of anything alarming.
In his speech on Twitter Chat Rooms, Musk said, “The first launch of a huge rocket is a very complex event, so it may not be successful. We will be very careful and postpone the launch if we see anything that worries us.” I’ll take it as a win.” he said.
33 MOTORS, 100 PEOPLE CAPACITY
Starship has 33 main engines. These engines make the rocket quite powerful. In addition, the rocket has the capacity to carry 100 people.
As part of the Artemis program, NASA signed a contract with SpaceX to develop a different version of the Starship rocket to send astronauts to the lunar surface. Therefore, the success of the Starship rocket seems to be of interest to NASA as well.
Elon Musk reported that he aimed to use the 33-engine Starship with higher technology to send satellites and humans into space.