Todo listo para el despegue de Starship, la nave de Elon Musk que sueña con llegar a la Luna – Infobae

SpaceX has scheduled the inaugural launch of its Starship V3 megacohete for this afternoon, departing from the Starbase facility in South Texas. The mission is set to take place within a 90-minute window that opens at 22:30 GMT.

This flight, the twelfth test mission for the Starship program, marks the debut of the most advanced version of the vehicle to date. Standing at 124.4 meters in height, the Starship V3 is designed to be the largest and most powerful rocket ever constructed, featuring a Super Heavy booster equipped with 33 Raptor engines.

The primary objective of the test is to demonstrate the functionality of the new elements integrated into the Starship architecture during flight. SpaceX aims to advance its goals for a rapid and complete reuse model, utilizing data gathered from extensive previous development and testing cycles. The flight plan calls for a suborbital trajectory, with controlled splashdowns intended for both the Super Heavy booster and the Ship upper stage.

The mission holds significant implications for the broader aerospace industry and NASA’s lunar ambitions. The Starship vehicle is positioned as a critical component for the Artemis program, which intends to return astronauts to the Moon. Specifically, the architecture is intended to support the Artemis IV mission, currently targeted for 2028, and is viewed as a foundational technology for future exploration of Mars.

Operations at the Starbase facility follow a recent period of scheduling adjustments, including the postponement of a previously planned launch window earlier in the week. The current attempt reflects the company’s ongoing efforts to refine the vehicle’s design, which includes updated propulsion systems and structural enhancements over previous iterations.

SpaceX has not announced a specific date for a subsequent test flight should the mission be scrubbed or fail to meet its primary objectives during today’s window.