SpaceX calls off launch attempt of Starship, the most powerful rocket ever built
SpaceX's Starship was supposed to launch on Monday morning, but was delayed due to a technical issue.
South Padre Island, Texas CNN --
SpaceX's Starship rocket, the most powerful ever built, remained on its launch pad on South Texas Monday morning due to a technical problem, which delayed the vehicle's first historic launch attempt.
The Super Heavy rocket booster was expected to ignite and lift the Starship spacecraft from its pad at SpaceX's facilities in South Texas. It would then send the vehicle flying out over the Gulf of Mexico.
SpaceX can try the mission again within 48 hours.
Even after the team decided to abandon the launch, they continued to perform some launch operations while keeping the countdown going during a simulated practice known as a "wet dress rehearsal." The countdown clock was halted with only 40 seconds remaining.
According to SpaceX's principal integration engineer John Insprucker, if the company decided to proceed with the liftoff, the mission controllers would give a final "go" for the launch at T-30 second.
Starship's Mission
The Super Heavy booster will burn through its fuel in about two-and-ahalf minutes and then separate from the Starship, allowing it to be dumped into the ocean. Starship's engines will blaze for over six minutes to reach orbital speeds.
After completing nearly a full orbit of the Earth, the vehicle will reenter the Earth's atmospheric near Hawaii. About an hour and a quarter after launch, it's anticipated to splash down near the coast.
Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX, has been hyping the test flight for years. This comes after a series of explosive tests and regulatory hurdles.
Musk tried to calm expectations in the days leading up to Monday's launch, saying that 'Success should not be expected...That's insane.'
He said that if SpaceX had to rebuild the launch site after the Super Heavy booster exploded, the steel infrastructure around it would be melted.
Musk stated that if we can get away from the launch pad far enough before anything goes wrong, I will consider it a success. Musk made this statement during an event called 'Spaces on Twitter' held on Sunday. Just don't blow the pad up.