WASHINGTON, Oct 13 – The unmanned Starship, the largest rocket system ever built, was set to lift off from the SpaceX port in Texas on Sunday for a fifth test flight, the German news agency dpa reported.
The 30-minute launch window was set to open at 7am (1200 GMT), after the US Federal Aviation Authority gave its approval on Saturday.
The Starship, consisting of the approximately 70-metre-long Super Heavy booster and the approximately 50-metre-long upper stage, also called Starship, was designed to enable manned missions to the moon and Mars.
The system has been developed in such a way for the spaceship and rocket to be reused after returning to Earth. Starship, which is around 120 metres long in total, should be able to transport well over 100 tonnes of cargo in future.
However, the development of the craft has been marred by a number of mishaps.
During a first test last April, the entire missile system exploded after just a few minutes. During a second test in November, the two rocket stages separated and the upper stage continued to fly, but shortly afterwards both exploded separately.
In March, the rocket successfully blasted off into space in its third unmanned test flight but was then destroyed as it returned to Earth, while the fourth test, in June, saw the Starship make its first controlled landing, but issues remained.
The aim of Sunday’s test is to attempt “the first ever return to launch site and catch of the Super Heavy booster”, SpaceX said.
