SpaceX CEO Elon Musk Says Starship For Next Test Flight Would Be Ready In '4 To 6 Weeks'

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk said on Friday that the next Starship vehicle for the upcoming test flight will be ready in 4 to 6 weeks, despite the last flight test of the launch vehicle ending with an explosion in space.

What Happened: “Today was a minor setback,” Musk said about the explosion on Thursday.

“Progress is measured by time. The next ship will be ready in 4 to 6 weeks,” he said.

Starship's eighth flight test lifted off from Starbase, Texas, at 5:30 p.m. CT on Thursday. The Super Heavy booster was successfully captured at Starbase by the launch tower's arms, but the Starship spacecraft exploded in space, raining debris.

SpaceX said that "an energetic event in the aft portion of Starship" resulted in the loss of several engines, thereby leading to a loss of attitude control and ultimately loss of contact with the vehicle.

This marks Starship's second failure this year. During the vehicle's seventh flight test in January, the vehicle disintegrated in space owing to a propellant leak.

Why It Matters: The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which regulates private rocket launches, has demanded a mishap investigation into the recent explosion. The investigation will be conducted by SpaceX with oversight from the FAA.

Starship’s return to flight will be based on the agency determining that any system, process, or procedure related to the mishap does not affect public safety, the agency said on Thursday.

The Starship vehicle is part of big dreams. While NASA is looking forward to landing humans back on the surface of the Moon after a gap of over 50 years with the help of a custom version of Starship, Musk is dreaming of taking humans to the planet Mars aboard Starship. However, the vehicle is currently in the testing and development phase.

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