Following its successful landing on Wednesday, Elon Musk's aerospace company SpaceX said on Friday that it might attempt another blast off of its Serial Number 15 (SN15) Starship rocket soon.
The SN15 Starship took off from SpaceX's launch facilities in Boca Chica, Texas. It soared to a high altitude before plummeting down to Earth and landing safely on the landing pad.
In a Twitter response to a Teslarati report about the good test flight, Musk said he wants to do it again "soon" with the same rocket prototype.
SpaceX SN15 Starship: When Is The Next Flight?
Express.co.uk said Mr. Musk only revealed that much information. There is no information about when or whether the SN15 will fly again on SpaceX's website, too. There's still no word about whether or not the SN15 would try anything new this time.
If the SN15 were to fly again, it would most likely take the same flight route, as SpaceX would want to ensure that it is still operational and that the last landing was not an accident.
In addition, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has not released any new temporary flight restrictions (TFRs) over Boca Chica for the next few weeks. SpaceX also has a habit of not announcing when one of its prototypes will debut because multiple factors must come together.
Weather conditions, for example, will still be a factor. Still, since the devices are prototypes, they can need engineering work right up until lift-off.
ALSO READ: FAA Gives SpaceX Go Signal to Launch 3 More Starship Prototypes
According to SpaceX's CEO, Elon Musk, the Starship will reach Mars in the 2020s. "SpaceX will be landing Starships on Mars well before 2030," Musk said on Twitter. "The really hard threshold is making Mars Base Alpha self-sustaining," he added.
The codename for the first human base on Mars is Mars Base Alpha.
SpaceX SN15 Starship: How Many Months Did Elon Musk Perfect The Rocket Landing
SpaceX took five months to perfect the rocket landing. Science Times has covered the first Starship test flight in December, the second in February, the third and fourth in March, and the most recent test flight on Wednesday.
The most recent iteration of the mega-spaceship was the only one that didn't explode. The accomplishment brings SpaceX one step closer to adding another reusable launch vehicle to its arsenal. During or shortly after landing, the previous four Starship designs burst into flames.
These prototypes are the final stage of a two-step process. SpaceX plans to add a Super Heavy booster to the rocket, propel it into orbit, the moon, and finally Mars. The plan is for Starship to return to Earth so that the trip can be repeated indefinitely.
Science Times previously reported that under an exclusive deal with NASA, a final iteration of the 16-story tall Starship rocket is expected to land the first humans on the moon since 1972. As early as 2024, the spacecraft will take two astronauts to the moon.
RELATED ARTICLE: SpaceX Eyes Building Radar-Based Wind Models for Future Tests
Check out more news and information on SpaceX on Science Times.