SpaceX's Starship rocket may or may not launch on 4/20.
SpaceX CEO Elon Musk said that the rocket has a significant number of issues that could prevent it from launching on Apr. 20, a well-known holiday in cannabis culture.
You may recall that Musk has a penchant for making 4/20 references and jokes, even in official dealings with companies like Twitter, according to Business Insider.
SpaceX Starship Launch Possible Delay
The team is working around the clock on many issues. Maybe 4/20, maybe not.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 19, 2023
Musk mentioned in his recent tweets that SpaceX is working "around the clock" on many issues to make its 4/20 launch a reality, but the chances of it becoming good to go for launch isn't looking good.
"Maybe 4/20, maybe not," SpaceX's CEO added.
While Musk didn't mention what these issues were, a Space.com article reported that numerous technical issues were the cause behind the delay, and it wasn't just a frozen pressurant valve this time. You may remember that SpaceX stopped its supposed first launch of Starship at the 9-minute mark on the countdown due to a pressurant valve that seemed frozen, preventing the Starship rocket from going to orbit until SpaceX could solve the matter.
However, it seems SpaceX's issue is more than just a frozen pressurant valve this time; the company's commentator said that the "chances of scrubs" are high" if Starship is prepared for launch on 4/20.
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While the article didn't specify what these technical issues were, Space's commentator did say that should the rocket launch as planned, the public could either see one or a combination of three things: a "scrub," a launch, or a "rapid unscheduled disassembly," which is SpaceX talk for an explosion.
Whether SpaceX could get Starship up and running for launch on 4/20 is still a matter of debate, though it's only a matter of time to know what SpaceX's decision is. However, Musk would be pretty disappointed if the launch wouldn't happen on 4/20 of all days.
Musk is a fan of making references and jokes about cannabis culture; he said that Starship's launch happening on 4/20 is "perhaps inevitable" in a tweet he previously published.
SpaceX Starship Game Plan
Workers in a lift (L) prepare the SpaceX Starship after sunset ahead of its scheduled launch from the SpaceX Starbase in Boca Chica, Texas on April 18, 2023.
SpaceX's Starship, allegedly dubbed the most powerful rocket in the world per CNN, comprises several parts, chief among them being the Super Heavy First Stage called Booster 7, which is powered by 33 of SpaceX's new Raptor engines, and the upper-stage Starship prototype, called Ship 24, which comes with six Raptors.
Should Starship launches as planned without exploding mid-air into a thousand smithereens, the rocket's Booster 7 Heavy First Stage will splash down in the Gulf of Mexico eight minutes into the launch. Afterward, Ship 24 will reach space and make a partial circuit of Earth before splashing down in the Pacific Ocean near Hawaii 90 minutes after liftoff.
SpaceX won't attempt to recover either Booster 7 or Ship 24 on the coming test flight, but that could change as the company continues to develop the rocket. After all, it is meant to be a fully reusable transportation system.
Related Article: SpaceX Delays Starship Rocket Launch Due to Fueling Issues
