Accessibility links

Breaking News
USA

Space-X Blast-Off Put Off


FILE: This undated photo provided by SpaceX shows the company's Starship rocket at the launch site in Boca Chica, Texas.
FILE: This undated photo provided by SpaceX shows the company's Starship rocket at the launch site in Boca Chica, Texas.

STARBASE, TEXAS - SpaceX on Monday postponed the first test flight of Starship, the most powerful rocket ever built.

Liftoff of the giant rocket was called off just minutes ahead of the scheduled launch time because of a pressurization issue, SpaceX officials said.

Jutting almost 120 meters into the South Texas sky, the towering first-stage rocket booster, dubbed Super Heavy, will soar for the first time when it's launched.

For this demo of this heavy lifter, SpaceX won’t attempt any landings of the rocket or the spacecraft. Everything will fall into the sea.

The stainless steel Starship has 33 main engines and 16.7 million pounds of thrust. All but two of the methane-fueled, first-stage engines ignited during a launch pad test in January - good enough to reach orbit.

Given its muscle, Starship could lift as much as 250 tons and accommodate 100 people on a trip to Mars. The six-engine spacecraft accounts for 50 meters of its height.

SpaceX is retooling one of its two Florida launch pads to accommodate Starships down the road. Florida is where SpaceX's Falcon rockets blast off with crew, space station cargo and satellites for NASA and other customers.

XS
SM
MD
LG