• 2 min read
Starship V3 returns to Starbase for July 24 launch
SpaceX has returned Starship V3 to Starbase ahead of a possible July 24 launch, the 13th integrated test flight after a July 16 cancellation.
Image: ITzine
SpaceX has rolled Starship V3 back to the launch site at Starbase in South Texas, with company employees spotted near the rocket and on the Mechazilla tower. According to SpaceX’s schedule, the next integrated test flight could begin during the night of July 24 Moscow time, following the aborted launch attempt on July 16.
Photos: Max Evans. The images were taken by photographer Max Evans of NASA Spaceflight. They show the full vehicle assembled for the test: Super Heavy Booster 20 and Ship 40, secured on the tower beside Mechazilla’s mechanical arms.
What is known about the Starship V3 launch
After the July 16 cancellation, SpaceX began additional checks, particularly on the booster. The company typically reviews telemetry after each unsuccessful or partially successful flight, then adjusts the vehicle’s configuration, tanks, thermal protection, or propulsion system before trying again.
The launch window is scheduled to open at 5:45 p.m. Central Time, or 1:45 a.m. Moscow time on July 24. If it proceeds, the mission will be Starship’s 13th integrated test flight.
Recommended reading
SpaceX’s Gigabay grows into a Starship factory
The test also carries broader significance for SpaceX. Starship is being developed both as a launch vehicle for NASA’s crewed lunar missions and as the foundation for the heavy-launch system Elon Musk is promoting for future missions. The previous attempt was canceled only days before its window; the next launch opportunity will show whether the company has resolved the technical issues identified during its latest checks.
Frontier Editor
Dan is our resident futurist, covering electric mobility, space exploration, and the smart home. He's interested in atoms just as much as bits. Whether it's a new battery chemistry, a reusable rocket, or a protocol that finally makes IoT devices talk to each other, Dan breaks down the engineering that pushes humanity forward.
via ITzine
