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As it happenedended

SpaceX Starship SN11 launch: Mars-bound rocket flight test scrubbed

Follow the latest updates from Boca Chica

Anthony Cuthbertson
Friday 26 March 2021 16:14 EDT
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Starship SN10 launches, lands successfully

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SpaceX has scrubbed Friday’s flight test of its Mars-bound Starship craft.

Starship SN11 was already on the launchpad at the firm’s Boca Chica facility in Texas and had completed a static fire test when the 10km launch attempt was cancelled.

The test attempt came just three months after the first high-altitude flight of a Starship craft, with launches of SN8, SN9 and SN10 all ending in an explosion.

A successful launch and landing today would have been a huge step towards Elon Musk’s ambition of colonising Mars with hundreds of Starships.

SpaceX is expected to reattempt the test next week.

Read more

Follow live updates below

The skies over Boca Chica are looking very cloudy currently but the weather forecast suggests they’re about to clear - at least a little bit.

(Weather.com)

It shouldn’t effect the launch, though it might hinder visibility when Starship reaches a high altitude.

During the SN10 test, the Starship prototype was partially obscured by clouds when it reached its apogee and hovered there a moment before commencing its descent.

Anthony Cuthbertson26 March 2021 17:41

Just over six hours left in the launch window and preparations continue to progress. Cranes are still at the launchpad, so we’ll have to keep waiting a bit longer. It can be a long wait, with SN9 and SN10 both occurring late in the launch window. So it’s hours - even days - of waiting, just for six minutes of flight. But it’s worth the wait.

A composite showing SN8’s launch and explosive landing
A composite showing SN8’s launch and explosive landing (Richard Angle)
Anthony Cuthbertson26 March 2021 18:15

Starship test confirmed!

SpaceX has just updated its website to officially confirm today’s test is going ahead.

There is still no precise timings, with the firm describing the launch schedule as “dynamic”.

(SpaceX)
Anthony Cuthbertson26 March 2021 18:33

Starship is bound for the moon and Mars and earlier this week SN11 received a visit from a group of astronauts who may one day fly aboard one of its successors.

Nasa astronaut Christina Koch shared an image of herself and colleagues Michael Barratt, Reid Wiseman and Matthew Dominick standing in front of the prototype with the caption “common goals, shared vision”.

Anthony Cuthbertson26 March 2021 18:53

With five hours left in the launch window, cranes are still visible on the launchpad. More vehicles appear to be leaving though, which could be a sign that they are preparing to clear the site ahead of launch.

Clouds are still crowding the skies above but are set to clear a bit over the next hour, so the longer wait may actually be worth it.

Anthony Cuthbertson26 March 2021 19:27

Launch off?

We’re still waiting for confirmation from SpaceX but roads in the local area have just been declared open.

(Cameron County)
Anthony Cuthbertson26 March 2021 19:46

SpaceX will not be launching today, however we can hope for a new attempt as early as Monday. We’ll be back then - thanks for joining us!

Anthony Cuthbertson26 March 2021 20:13

Anthony Cuthbertson26 March 2021 20:13

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