SpaceX could be set to launch its next Starship prototype model SN11 on Monday afternoon, Elon Musk has said.
Musk wrote on Twitter, Sunday: "Possible Starship flight tomorrow afternoon."
The tweet currently has nearly 230,000 likes, suggesting lots of interest in the upcoming launch.
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Whenever the launch takes place, SpaceX will be hoping to make its first full recovery of an SN prototype. So far, all of them have exploded upon, or shortly after, landing.
The mission goals have been almost exactly the same for all of the high-altitude SN missions so far; launch the prototype to a height of around 10 kilometers; have it hover in the air for a short period; perform a 'belly flop' and plummet to Earth; and finally, straighten up in mid-air to land vertically.
While the final stage has proved the toughest, SpaceX got tantalisingly close to success during its SN10 mission on March 4.
SpaceX came close to launching SN11 on March 26, but the launch ended up being scrubbed. Instead, SpaceX conducted a static fire of SN11's Raptor engines, but did not allow the rocket to take off.
Musk said on Twitter that some additional checks were needed and that Monday would "probably" be the next launch date.
He added: "Doing our best to land and fully recover."
Additionally, the Boca Chica launch site had seen foggy conditions throughout the day, though it was unclear if that was another reason behind the launch cancellation.
SN11 is the latest in a line of prototypes for what SpaceX hopes will eventually become Starship; a spacecraft capable of taking humans on missions to the Moon and Mars. It will also be used to deliver satellites to orbit at a lower cost than the company's current Falcon 9 workhorse can.
When fully completed, the Starship spacecraft will sit on top of a huge rocket called Super Heavy that SpaceX has yet to fly. When put together, the two are referred to as Starship.
SpaceX says that when Starship is fully complete it will be the most powerful launch vehicle ever made. That title is currently held by NASA's Space Launch System, or SLS, which is expected to fly some time this year.
Musk unveiled a prototype of Super Heavy standing in a hanger on March 18, though that model is not expected to fly. Testing is expected to begin in the coming months, according to Space.com.
Appearing in an episode of the Joe Rogan Experience podcast in February this year, Musk said he expects the completed Starship—Super Heavy and all—to be flying by 2023.
An early prototype of SpaceX's Starship spacecraft at the company's Texas launch facility on September 28, 2019 in Boca Chica. Musk has previously said the final design could be flying by 2023.An early prototype of SpaceX's Starship spacecraft at the company's Texas launch facility on September 28, 2019 in Boca Chica. Musk has previously said the final design could be flying by 2023.Loren Elliott/Getty
