SpaceX recently announced its plan to conduct a second Starship launch on Friday (Nov. 17). After the first launch attempt failed four minutes after lift-off earlier this year, the company has been to correct the mistakes that led to the explosion of its first Starship test flight.
SpaceX is working to take humans and payload to deep space using its Starship vehicles. Hence, the upcoming Starship test flight will determine when the commercial space agency will commence with the actual goal of the vehicle.
How To Watch Space Conduct Second Starship Launch on Nov. 17
SpaceX is targeting to launch the starship on Friday during a two-hour window which will likely open at 8 a.m. EST (1300 GMT). The liftoff will commence from Starbase, which is the company’s launch site in the coastal Southern part of Texas. You can watch the liftoff directly at SpaceX or its YouTube channel.
Coverage for the launch will commence at 7:30 a.m. EST (1230 GMT). If the first launch window fails, the company also planned backup launch windows which will run on Saturday (Nov. 18) and Sunday (Nov. 19), as revealed by multiple media reports citing U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) advisories.
If the Starship is safely launched into space on Friday, it is expected to conduct a 90-minute flight in which the spacecraft will fly east over the Gulf of Mexico. It will make a partial circuit of Earth before splashing down near Hawaii. Starship and Super Heavy are built as reusable systems.
However, SpaceX will target a simple splashdown in the ocean instead of landing vertically as the first stages of its Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy rockets often do. The Starship will not perform a full orbit of the planet. However, its expected flight should move it to a near-orbital velocity of about 17,500 mph (28,160 kph) at an altitude of 150 miles (250 kilometers.)
Previous Efforts Made for Starship Launch
SpaceX commenced the development of starships in the past decade. The company has conducted several tests for the massive Starship. However, SpaceX has tested the huge Starship-Super Heavy integrated system for just once under its belt to date. On April 20, Starship lifted off from Starbase and commenced its journey to space.
However, the massive space vehicle began to spin out of control even before separation. SpaceX control team remotely detonated the space vehicle nearly four minutes after launch. This detonation scattered debris of the rocket over a wide region. The FAA finalized their investigation into the last launch attempt in early September.
The government agency also concluded its Starship safety review on Oct. 31. However, the FAA noted in October that SpaceX requires approval from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service before its forthcoming launch.
What Lies Next?
The outcome of this forthcoming test flight will surely determine the next phase of SpaceX Starship. SpaceX Founder and CEO Elon Musk revealed that big promises lie ahead of this test flight as it will attract lucrative contracts to his company.
SpaceX has already signed contracts with NASA to develop Starship for the Artemis crewed moon landing mission in 2025 or 2026. Starship will also be used for other missions including launching Billionaire Jared Isaacman to space under the Polaris Program, sending Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa with a team of artists to the moon, and other missions.
Launch dates for these missions are yet to be fixed. Hence, the forthcoming test flight will determine when these missions will eventually take place.
Conclusion
SpaceX is getting ready for the second Starship launch coming up on Friday (Nov. 17). The outcome of this test flight will determine the next feat of the Starship. Check out these top SpaceX-themed gifts for your loved ones.
