SpaceX's Starhopper reusable launch vehicle will make its first test flight within days now that a Raptor engine has been fitted, SpaceX founder Elon Musk said. He noted that works out to 30 to 40 metric tons to a geostationary transfer orbit. The Falcon Heavy rocket is scheduled to lift off from Cape Canaveral on Sunday at 7:45 a.m. EDT (0245 GMT). SpaceX expects the rocket to reach a 20 km altitude within months, Musk said. The long-term goal is for the vehicle to be the reusable upper stage of a large booster called Super Heavy, which would be capable of transporting a payload of up to 125 mt into orbit.
SpaceX's Starhopper reusable launch vehicle will make its first test flight within days now that a Raptor engine has been fitted, SpaceX founder Elon Musk said. The Falcon Heavy rocket is scheduled to lift off from Cape Canaveral on Sunday at 7:45 a.m. EDT (0245 GMT). SpaceX expects the rocket to reach a 20 km altitude within months, Musk said. The long-term goal is for the vehicle to be the reusable upper stage of a large booster called Super Heavy, which would be capable of transporting a payload of up to 125 mt into orbit.