The second test flight of the prototype spacecraft was cancelled.
Editor’s note: This article is from “Tencent Technology“, review: Hey.
US local time Monday evening (Beijing time early Tuesday morning), SpaceX is preparing to test the prototype of the interplanetary spacecraft. However, according to the latest news from foreign media, after two hours of waiting, the second test flight of the prototype spacecraft was cancelled at the last minute.
According to foreign media reports, in order to send humans to Mars in the future, SpaceX and Musk are developing a starship, capable of transporting 100 people each time. As an advanced project, SpaceX designed a prototype spacecraft (named StarHopper). Various tests.
It is reported that the prototype spacecraft was originally scheduled to be carried out in early August and was later extended to this Monday. On Monday, the flight test time was postponed for another two hours, but the launch test was cancelled at the last minute.
As of now, SpaceX or Musk has not given reasons for canceling the launch test.
Before Monday’s test, the company’s residents near the Boca Chica test site factory in Texas were warned that possible spacecraft failures could release huge pressure waves that led to the region’s The window glass broke. Local residents were advised to leave all buildings during the test and bring their pets outdoors to avoid the risk of glass splashing.
A local person wrote on Twitter: “I think we will watch street dance performances outside.”
On July 25 this year, the prototype spacecraft conducted its first flight test with a launch height of only 20 meters. According to foreign media reports, in this Monday’s launch test, SpaceX plans to lift the prototype spacecraft to a height of 200 meters and then return to the ground.
Starshop Exterior in July
But before the launch, Musk said on Twitter that the prototype spacecraft plans to lift 150 meters on Monday.
Muske said before that if the second flight test in August was successful, he will hold a public speech in September to introduce the details of the Starship project.
So far, American AerospaceThe bureau has landed on Mars with detectors, rover cars, etc. Humans have already conducted in-depth research on Mars, and NASA is also preparing to land on Mars in the future.
Muske has a bigger dream. He plans to build human settlements on Mars and transport human and building materials to Mars through reusable large rockets and interstellar spacecraft. In addition, Musk is also preparing to land on the moon first, establishing a lunar relay station, where it provides fuel replenishment services for interplanetary spacecraft.
The Starship can take 100 people at a time, which is more than 30 times that of SpaceX’s manned version of the dragon spacecraft. It should be pointed out that the manned version of the dragon spacecraft exploded in a test in April, which caused the first mission to transport American astronauts to the International Space Station to be postponed and may be postponed until next year.
In addition, Musk recently said that the minimum cost for humans to build a city on Mars is $100 billion, including the cost of shipping the first batch of human and building materials.