If successful, Booster 9 will splash down in the Gulf of Mexico, and the upper stage Ship 25 will do the same in the Pacific Ocean near Hawaii. The mission is not expected to last longer than 90 minutes. Starship, standing at 400 feet tall and exerting some 16 million pounds of thrust, is the most powerful rocket ever built, and is seen as a crucial step forward for SpaceX, NASA, and other industry partners.
Key takeaways:
- SpaceX is set for the second test flight of a fully integrated Starship rocket, with a launch window opening at 8:00 a.m. ET on Friday, November 17.
- The two-stage rocket will test a new water-cooled steel flame deflector, a new electronic thrust vector control system, and a new hot-staging approach, among over a thousand different modifications.
- If successful, Booster 9 will splash down in the Gulf of Mexico, while the upper stage Ship 25 will do the same in the Pacific Ocean near Hawaii. The mission is not expected to last longer than 90 minutes.
- Starship, standing 400 feet tall and exerting 16 million pounds of thrust, is the most powerful rocket ever built, and is a key project for SpaceX, NASA, and other industry partners.