SpaceX: Elon Musk will try to launch the spacecraft again on Friday with the most powerful rocket in the world | Sciences

The countdown has started again. After an eventful test flight last April, Elon Musk is trying again. His company SpaceX announced That this Friday at 7am US central time (8am on the East Coast and 2pm in mainland Spain) a new window will open for the second full-scale flight test of his giant 120-meter device. The ship is meters high and nine meters in diameter Starship Coupled with the fan so heavy, The most powerful missile in history.

The company’s announcement came moments after the US Aviation Authority (FAA) announced that it would reactivate SpaceX’s license. “The FAA has granted authorization for the vehicle’s second launch Super Heavy spacecraft From SpaceX. “The FAA has determined that SpaceX has met all safety, environmental, regulatory and financial responsibility requirements.” the organization tweeted.

In a 45-page report. The FAA is reviewing some of the incidents that accompanied the first test launch and the improvements SpaceX has made since then to prevent a repeat. On April 20, the plane passed over the platform and beach and ended up disintegrating when it exploded over the Gulf of Mexico. The concrete launch pad was damaged during a test launch, resulting in a scattering of sand and debris, some of which was deposited outside the potential debris study area evaluated in the permit. The breach on the launch pad deck also resulted in sand being expelled from underneath the launch pad due to the ship’s thrust.

Overall, SpaceX considered the launch a success because the rocket moved a sufficient distance from the launch pad without causing damage, and the failure occurred at a more advanced stage, during the dismantling of the two parts of the device. “Starship’s first test flight provided numerous lessons learned that directly contributed to numerous improvements to both vehicle and ground infrastructure to increase the likelihood of success on future flights,” SpaceX asserts. However, the devastation of the launch area put the authorities on alert, leading to the suspension of the now reactivated licence.

The FAA explains that after the April 20 launch, SpaceX reinforced the launch pad foundation with thicker concrete and additional piles, and also installed steel plates on the foundation. Both improvements are designed to protect the platform from possible breakage or a large cloud of dust. The steel plates include a water cooling element that is activated to protect the steel plates during an engine ignition event and allow the plates to be reused.

SpaceX also added a frontal heat shield to the vehicle Spacecraft/extremely heavy To provide thermal protection against heat produced by engines Starship During the separation event at different stages. The second test will also demonstrate a new electronic thrust vector control system.

“This rapid, iterative development approach has been the foundation for all of SpaceX’s major innovative developments, including Falcon, Dragon, and Starlink,” says SpaceX, which considers the system “essential” in its work to build a “fully reusable transportation” system capable of Transporting crew and cargo into Earth orbit, helping humanity return to the Moon and, ultimately, traveling to Mars and beyond, according to the statement announcing the launch.

The launch window on Friday lasts for two hours. About 30 minutes before liftoff, SpaceX will begin a live webcast of the flight test, both on its website and on the social media network X, which is also owned by Musk.

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