SpaceX aims to launch massive Starship into orbit by early December: Report
Billionaire Elon Musk hopes to use the spacecraft to transport humans and commercial satellites.
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SpaceX intends to launch its large next-generation rocket system, Starship, into orbit by early December of this year.
Under the leadership of billionaire and new Twitter owner Elon Musk, the company has tried for years to launch the rocket into space through limited demonstrations at launch facilities in Texas.
If the December mission timetable launches on time, it will be the first orbital test for the towering Starship, which measures 160 feet tall. The rocket will need a 230-foot booster at the time of launch.
"We track four major Starship flights. The first one here is coming up in December, part of early December," said Mark Kirasich, a senior NASA official part of the agency's Artemis moon program, according to Reuters.
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SpaceX signed a $3 billion contract with NASA in 2021 to land humans on the moon by 2025 via the Starship rocket system. (Paul Hennessy/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images / Getty Images)
Once the Starship becomes fully operational, it will become the flagship system for Spacex, succeeding the company's Falcon 9 rockets. However, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration has not granted SpaceX with the proper licensing to conduct the mission. Regulatory reviews and more potential ground tests could delay the December launch.
An FAA spokesperson told Reuters that the agency would only grant Musk's company approval "only after SpaceX provides all outstanding information and the agency can fully analyze it."
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Musk hopes for the Starship to be a modern reusable spacecraft for aerospace travel that can transport tourists, astronauts and commercial satellites.
Last year, SpaceX earned a $3 billion contract with NASA for their Starship model to land humans on the moon by 2025, but that date could be pushed back due to testing.