The Next Spaceflight website continues to show that Flight Test 9 will be tomorrow evening at 6:30 Central (CDT), so 7:30 PM here on the east coast to 4:30 PM PDT. Since the last test flight, March 6, SpaceX has apparently completed construction of a second launch at Starbase, but this flight will be from the already existing pad, now called Pad A (yes, the new pad is called Pad B).
But there's more.
SpaceX sent out a "media" email today saying that there will be an "all-hands" employee meeting that we're invited to watch.
Join Elon on the morning of Starship’s ninth flight test for a discussion with SpaceX employees on SpaceX’s plans for establishing a permanent human settlement and cities on Mars.
The talk will be streamed live on X @SpaceX and on spacex.com on Tuesday, May 27 at 12:00 p.m. CT.
Elon will discuss the development work ahead for Starship and how SpaceX will use the world’s most powerful and capable rocket to build a human presence on the red planet over the next decade. The next opportunity to launch from Earth to Mars opens in late 2026.
What you see in those three indented paragraphs is pretty much everything I know about that meeting. I can't imagine it being a very long meeting since the main goal for the day is the flight test and if the people who run the test are in that meeting, it just seems like it might squeeze the schedule a bit too much. I'll be watching, though.
On the dedicated SpaceX "Launches" page they have a large page dedicated to Flight Test 9. In it they link to a page describing what was found in the investigation after FT-8 and the loss of that Starship. It's worth a read.
I'll be watching!
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ReplyDeleteThis launch is expected to be successful. Some SpaceX employees have been feeling lonely without Musk's presence lately. I expect, Musk will use the launch to give a "remain calm and carry on" speech. It will be interesting to see if Musk addresses how they will meet the next Mars window. SpaceX employees have accomplished so much. To make use of the next Mars window, SpaceX will have to operate at ludicrous speed, expand in every capacity and spend a significant portion of Musk's wealth.
Think as far as R&D flight tests are concerned, success with #9 is like a break-over test. They can go WOT after this, begin a series actual orbital tests, once regular orbits are achieved they gain a lot less regulatory intrusion, that freedom to "rapidly innovate" kicks in. Space is freedom in certain senses. Get earth to orbit sections of flights ironed out, with dependability they have with Falcon, skies the limit like never before. This flight should be that last critical hump to get over. Particularly in the internal company sense, because it seems lot of things converged at once, they just git to tackle the harder parts and once thru this they should have considerable success down the line. After this, pin a test lunar landing, think everything opens up then.
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