This is just the Starship SN8 nose.
Elon Musk SpaceX is working on another high-altitude test flight of its next-generation space flight system, and it could take place this week.
The latest prototype of Elon Musk 's Starship ,which is identified by the SN9 serial number, has undergone a brief firing test of its Raptor engines at the company 's Boca Chica, Texas, development facility on January 6th. The test is part of a series of checks, which may include another static fire, leading to a launch that could take place as early as Wednesday.
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Airspace restrictions are also in place around Boca Chica for Thursday. The potential first flight date has been pushed back several times since last week.
SpaceXhas tested and iterated their spaceship design over the past two years, starting with a series of hops at low altitude " . "The first successful flight at a significant altitude took place last month when SN8 reached about the same altitude where commercial jets do much of their cruise.
The milestone was then followed by a return to Earth and a new landing maneuver which seemed to succeed in orienting the rocket, but alas SN8 arrived too quickly and encountered a spectacular and explosive end .
SpaceX SN8 flew high and landed hard.
SpaceX video capture / by Jackson Ryan While we might get lucky and see the rest of SN8's test on Wednesday, but scrubs and delays have been part of the routine of the Starship development process, so it seems just as likely that we will have to wait until later in the week or even later in the month.
Whenever SN9 flies, we 'make sure to stream the video here. Stay tuned.
