Elon Musk to give an update on Starship status and future plans
'Shortly before the next flight, I will do a live technical update on Starship, going over progress to date and engineering/production/launch plans for the future,' Musk said in the post.
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The presentation, which is likely to take place at SpaceX's Starbase facility in Boca Chica, Texas, should offer some details on what his team has learned from recent flight tests and how it's used that knowledge to improve the rocket, which, packing some 17 million pounds of thrust at launch, makes it the most powerful launch vehicle ever. Recent Starship flights have been a mixed bag of impressive booster landings and lost spacecraft. There was also the spectacular explosion of the Starship spacecraft, which occurred shortly after a ground-based engine test in June. No one was hurt in the incident.
Musk will also offer some information on how many Starship vehicles and boosters are currently being built, and possibly touch on any supply chain challenges.
Many people will also be keen to hear about the launch plans for the Starship. Musk has spoken before about his desire to dramatically increase the launch frequency of the Starship so that SpaceX can work more quickly toward making it operational.
NASA is planning to use the Starship to carry crew and cargo to the moon in highly anticipated missions before the end of this decade. It could also be used for the first crewed voyage to the surface of Mars.
Musk had originally planned to hold the update event at around the time of the ninth flight test in late May, but it was called off at the last minute.
The SpaceX chief has now confirmed it'll be happening in the coming weeks, and we'll know exact timings just as soon as SpaceX confirms the launch schedule for the 10th flight test.
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