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SpaceX boss Elon Musk has confirmed that the latest attempt to launch and land its Mars-bound Starship spacecraft will go ahead on Wednesday.
Starship SN10 is already on the launchpad at SpaceX’s Boca Chica facility in Texas, and has an eight hour window to achieve what it predecessors could not.
If successful, SN10 will become the first Starship prototype to achieve a landing after flying to a high altitude, with similar tests of SN8 and SN8 ending in fiery explosions.
The launch window runs from 9am local time (3pm GMT) until 6pm (12am GMT, Thursday).
SpaceX will be providing a live stream of the launch, which will go live shortly before the attempt is made.
We will have the stream right here as soon as it’s available, and you can follow all the latest updates right here.
‘SpaceX has launch target’
SpaceX is targeting a lift-off time of 3.14pm (8.14pm GMT), according to CNBC space reporter Michael Sheetz.
That’s just over 15 minutes from now.
Anthony Cuthbertson3 March 2021 19:57
Waiting on the tri-vent
The next milestone to tick off this countdown timeline is the tri-vent. We’re still waiting for it, and until we do we’ll be at least five minutes from the launch taking place.
Anthony Cuthbertson3 March 2021 19:53
Official countdown yet to begin
Launch preparations continue to progress, though there’s still no official word from SpaceX about the countdown starting.
For the Starship SN8 and SN9 tests, SpaceX began livestreaming the launch site around 10 minutes to go before lift-off.
Anthony Cuthbertson3 March 2021 19:46
Skirt venting
Skirt venting is underway, meaning we’re likely just over 15 minutes from lift-off.
Anthony Cuthbertson3 March 2021 19:33
A good day for the beach
Boca Chica beach has been filling up all morning with space enthusiasts. What a view they’ll have.
T-minus ~30 minutes (fingers crossed).
Anthony Cuthbertson3 March 2021 19:26
Launchpad clearing
Cars are leaving the launch area, which means the valve issue has likely been fixed and we are back on track for a launch today.
The condenser also appears to be venting, meaning we could be less than 45 minutes away from Starship SN10 taking flight.
Anthony Cuthbertson3 March 2021 19:10
‘Ground vent valve stuck open’
The reason for the delay was an issue with the ground vent valve, according to CNBC’s space reporter Michael Sheetz.
Apparently the vent was stuck open when Starship SN10 was about to start loading with propellent.
The good news is that it is not a major issue and SpaceX is reportedly still looking to launch today.
Anthony Cuthbertson3 March 2021 18:52
Weather improving
In brighter news, the overcast skies that have been shrouding Boca Chica all morning appear to be clearing. That will give us a much better view of Starship on its 10km-altitude flight – if it goes ahead.
Anthony Cuthbertson3 March 2021 18:49
Vehicle in the launch area?
There appears to be a vehicle in the launch area, which could push back today’s schedule by up to an hour and a half.
Anthony Cuthbertson3 March 2021 18:32
’60 per cent’
SpaceX boss Elon Musk has been unusually quiet on Twitter since announcing today’s launch, likely because he is very busy with preparations.
He has previously given SN10 a 60 per cent chance of succeeding.
Anthony Cuthbertson3 March 2021 18:30
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