SpaceX plans to spend approximately $2 billion on the development of its Starship rocket this year, as it aims to build on its first launch earlier in the month.
CEO Elon Musk expressed his expectations for the next flight during a Twitter Spaces discussion on Saturday, stating, “My expectation for the next flight would be to reach orbit,” reports CNBC.
Despite encountering various issues during the initial flight, Musk said the outcome was “roughly in what I expected, and maybe slightly exceeding my expectations.” The company has several prototypes in various stages of assembly and intends to attempt another space launch within a few months.
The inaugural Starship launch took place on April 20, reaching an apogee of 39km above the Gulf of Mexico, before things started to fall apart. Stage separation did not happen and Starship started spinning, and that’s when the flight termination system was activated.
During the first fully stacked Starship launch, several problems arose, including engine failures and loss of thrust vector control. However, Musk revealed that the rocket’s structural margins appeared better than expected, as it remained intact despite performing somersaults toward the end of the launch.
Discussing the probability of reaching orbit with a Starship flight this year, Musk said, “probably” 80% but added that he thinks there is a “100% chance of reaching orbit within 12 months.”
Musk also addressed the “rock tornado” created by the booster during liftoff, saying that while there is no evidence that it damaged engines or heat shields, they “certainly didn’t expect” to destroy the launch pad’s concrete and create a crater. Repairs are underway, and Musk estimates SpaceX will be “probably ready to launch in six to eight weeks.” This time around, SpaceX plans to launch Starship in half the time off the pad, cutting down the 5 seconds it took in half.