The first launch of Starship on April 18 had been canceled and so today, April 20, SpaceX tries again. Elon Musk’s space company predicted that, starting at 15 will open the window for the mission. If all goes as planned, the Starship SN24 and Super Heavy spacecraft, the largest rocket in the world, will be able to take off between 15:30 and 16:30 Italian time. And of course it will all be broadcast live.
The biggest rocket ever
As usual, the starting point is the SpaceX Starbase in Boca Chica, Texas, and this launch has a high symbolic and economic value: it is the first full test of the Starship plus Super Heavy combination, a colossus that reaches 120 meters in length and on which the future of SpaceX is at stake. In fact, Musk’s space company would like to use this completely reusable launch system for future missions to the Moon and Mars. NASA then chose Starship as the lunar lander for Artemis 3, a 2025 mission that will bring man back to the moon from the last moon landing in 1972 (and whose futuristic suits we have already seen).
How to watch live
According to plans, Super Heavy, after launch, it will re-enter the ocean after only 8 minutes from departure and will be destroyed to prevent others from recovering it. Starship instead should return after 90 minutes ditching off Hawaii. We will be able to follow the live broadcast from the video below: as mentioned, the launch window will start at 3 pm Italian time, with departure scheduled between 3:30 and 4:30 pm.