SpaceX Plans Hundreds of Starship Launches During Donald Trump’s Presidency
American space technology company SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell said the company plans to significantly increase the number of Starship launches during US President-elect Donald Trump’s second term: the number could reach 400 in the next four years, the Wall Street Journal reported.
Shotwell, US entrepreneur Elon Musk’s longtime second-in-command, made the statement at an investor event on Friday, the report said.
The first test launch of the spacecraft took place in April 2023 – then, a few minutes after launch, Starship began to rotate uncontrollably and was soon destroyed. The second test launch was carried out in November 2023, but shortly after the successful separation of the stages, the ship was destroyed before reaching orbit. The third test took place in March 2024 and was deemed successful. The fourth test was conducted in June 2024.
Musk previously said he expects to carry out an unmanned Starship flight to Mars in the next four years.