On Monday morning, the inaugural test flight of the SpaceX Starship spacecraft was postponed at its Texas Starbase due to a pressurization problem identified in the first stage. Although the stainless steel rocket, measuring 394 feet, could not be launched, a "wet dress rehearsal" countdown was successfully conducted down to T-minus 10 seconds.
SpaceX CEO Elon Musk mentioned on Twitter that a pressurant valve seemed to be frozen, and unless it started functioning soon, the launch would not happen that day. The company has to wait a minimum of 48 hours before making another attempt at launching the rocket.
The ambitious plan for SpaceX involves sending the Starship, mounted on an enormous booster, on a journey from the southern tip of Texas to Hawaii. The first stage of the rocket will be discarded in the Gulf of Mexico, while the spacecraft will be released into the Pacific Ocean. There will be no attempted landings during this initial test.
The upcoming launch will mark the first attempt involving a full-sized Starship, constructed from gleaming stainless steel and powered by methane-fueled engines. Musk's ultimate goal for the Starship is to transport people to the moon and Mars. NASA has already planned to use a Starship to bring astronauts to the lunar surface by 2025.
