SpaceX's Super Heavy Rocket Could Propel Starship To Orbit In A Few Weeks - 'Pending only regulatory approval,' Says Elon Musk

We could soon see SpaceX’s Super Heavy rocket make a debut flight. The monstrous rocket will propel Starship to orbit with 29 powerful methane-fueled Raptor engines, capable of producing over 16 million pounds of thrust. “First orbital stack of Starship should be ready for flight in a few weeks, pending only regulatory approval,” SpaceX founder Elon Musk said on Saturday, August 14. The company will not be able to launch the vehicle until it obtains regulatory approval from federal agencies. SpaceX must obtain authorization from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) that is in charge of managing air traffic in the United States. The FAA is pending an environmental review of the Starbase facility launch pad. During the debut orbital flight, SpaceX plans to launch from South Texas and aims to splashdown off the coast of Hawaii. A launch date has not yet been established, it is unclear how long the FAA will take to complete all its reviews ahead of flight.

A week ago, on August 6, SpaceX stacked Starship SN20 atop Super Heavy Booster 4 for the first time. Musk said it was a “Dream come true” to see the 394-foot-tall launch vehicle fully-stacked for the first time. “An honor to work with such a great team.” The stacking operation was only a fit test, Starship was unstacked and transported to the assembly facility where it will undergo final preparations before initiating its pre-flight campaign.

First orbital stack of Starship should be ready for flight in a few weeks, pending only regulatory approval

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 15, 2021

SpaceX will finish installing Thermal Protection System (TPS) heat tiles to SN20, prepare the site’s ground propellant storage tanks, and work on the quick disconnect tower arm for Starship. "Booster & Ship will return to orbital launch pad on Monday (winds allowing). Just finishing off some small plumbing & wiring, which is easier in high bay," Musk shared on August 11. As of this weekend, Booster 4 remains at the Starbase assembly facility inside the high bay and Starship SN20 was transported back to the launch pad down the road at Boca Chica beach, Texas. Once at the pad, the vehicles will undergo ground tests. Cameron County Highway 4 road closure announcements suggest that SpaceX does have plans to transport Booster 4 to the launch pad as soon as Monday, August 16. Additional road closures are scheduled for August 18 and August 19 from 5:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. Central Time (CDT). A secondary date is scheduled for August 20, 6:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. CDT. 

Booster & Ship will return to orbital launch pad on Monday (winds allowing). Just finishing off some small plumbing & wiring, which is easier in high bay.

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 12, 2021

SN20 is on the move. pic.twitter.com/hU76nyMay7

— Nic Ansuini (@NicAnsuini) August 13, 2021

Engineers are working to develop a fully-reusable launch system, able to be reused like aircraft in order to make spaceflight more affordable. The company hopes to make space accessible to everyday people long-term. Besides launching astronauts to the moon and sending brave crews to Mars, SpaceX plans to design a Starship capable of transporting cargo and passengers to city-to-city destinations on Earth. Fully-reusable spacecraft is necessary to achieve this in a sustainable way. The company plans to launch the first crewed Starship voyage around the Moon by 2023. 

Featured Image Source: SpaceX