UPDATE: Apr. 17, 2023, 2:47 p.m. EDT Following a pressurization issue, the launch is officially off. Musk tweeted the update, adding “Learned a lot today, now offloading propellant, retrying in a few days.” Today was rendered a test, and it’s unclear when the next attempt will take place exactly.
Starship, the world’s biggest rocket built by Elon Musk’s SpaceX, is set to launch today. The powerful rocket is ready for its first test flight, taking place from the company’s base near Boca Chica Village in South Texas.
Musk has kept expectations low, saying that it is likely the attempt “will not be successful.” In fact, failure is expected, and will likely be a result of technical reasons. During the test, Starship will attempt to fly around the Earth and finally land down in water near the Gulf of Mexico.
The rocket is expected to launch at 9:20 a.m. ET. But launch times will change frequently; in the meantime, currently SpaceX is livestreaming on YouTube, with two of the Starship engineers hosting the video and explaining the company’s mission.
UPDATE: Apr. 17, 2023, 2:31 p.m. EDT Following a pressurization issue, the launch is officially off. Musk tweeted the update, adding “Learned a lot today, now offloading propellant, retrying in a few days.” Today was rendered a test, and it’s unclear when the next attempt will take place exactly.
