SpaceX Starship launch live: latest updates on Elon Musk’s rocket test flight today

Starship second stage possibly lost

SpaceX has not been able to establish contact with Starship second stage which has led them to believe it suffered "Rapid Unscheduled Disassembly".

"Rapid Unscheduled Disassembly" of Super Heavy booster

Starship  and the Super Heavy booster successfully detached. However, the Super Heavy booster suffered a "Rapid Unscheduled Disassembly".

SPACE

How much money does Elon Musk’s SpaceX Starship program cost?

SpaceX has pumped vast sums of money into developing the Starship rocket system. Once operational though it will drastically cut the cost of space travel.

Here's a look...

SpaceX Starship ready to go for second test launch

SpaceX is ready to proceed with its second attempt to put its Starship into orbit. The launch will take place during a 20 minute window beginning at 8:00 am ET from Starbase in Boca Chica, Texas.

How the the SpaceX Starship is assembled

The Starship rocket system is composed of two main sections, both of which are fully reuseable. The base of the rocket is the Super Heavy booster section propelled by 33 Raptor engines. The top section is the Starship module which will carry the payload into space.

Unlike other rocket systems, the two sections are put together for final assembly at the launch pad.

Starship test launch flight path

Elon Musk's Starship is set to launch from the SpaceX Starbase in Boca Chica on the southern coast of Texas on Saturday. About three minutes into the flight the booster and upper stage will separate with the former falling into the Gulf of Mexico.

The upper stage will continue until reaching orbit, hopefully, as it traverses the globe before splashing down in the Pacific off the coast of Kauai.

Starship mission to Mars

Elon Musk has envisioned making mankind a multi-planet species. Part of the plan is to set up a colony on Mars, sending humans there possibly as soon as 2029. Integral to that effort is the Starship rocket system, the most powerful rocket system every built. 

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What is the mission of Elon Musk’s Space X Starship program? When do they plan to go to the Moon?

Elon Musk’s SpaceX will soon head out on a lunar mission.

Here are the details of the mission.

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Why has the second Starship test launch been postponed again? What is the new launch date?

SpaceX initially scheduled the second test launch of its mammoth Starship rocket on the morning of Friday, November 17. However, the much-awaited event was postponed a little over 24 hours.

Here's what caused the delay...

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Space X Starship launch: What happened in the previous test flight?

On April 20 this year, SpaceX made history. Elon Musk’s company launched the prototype of its Starship with the intention of reaching space. However, the ship exploded a few minutes into its mission after leaving the facilities in Boca Chica in Texas.

Here's how it unfolded...

Welcome to AS USA live coverage of SpaceX Starship test launch 2

Elon Musk’s SpaceX is set to perform a second test launch of the Starship rocket system. Originally scheduled for Friday, some last-minute repairs on a grid fin actuator force a one-day delay.

The 33 Raptor engines at the base of the Super Heavy booster will be ignited at approximately 8:00 am ET. SpaceX will be hoping to successfully send the most powerful rocket system ever built into space. The previous attempt ended in a "Rapid Unscheduled Disassembly" over the  Gulf of Mexico after technical problems forced the launch team to activate the flight termination system.