Elon Musk’s latest space launch hits a snag as Starship blast off is delayed – but you won’t have to wait long

ELON Musk’s latest test launch won’t go ahead today as planned due to an urgent last minute change.

Blast-off of SpaceX’s Starship rocket was due to take place at the Starbase facility in Texas.

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But Musk, 52, said an important part needed replacing so the Friday launch would be postponed.

Fortunately, observers won’t have to wait too long as it’s been rescheduled for Saturday.

“We need to replace a grid fin actuator, so launch is postponed to Saturday,” Musk wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Representatives from SpaceX have warned locals that they may hear a “loud noise” after the rocket’s lift-off.

The entire process begins at 8am EST, (1pm GMT) which is also the time SpaceX will launch its webcast.

Around 10 minutes after that, Starship’s 39 Raptor engines are due to chill ahead of ignition, Space.com noted.

Then, ten seconds before launch, SpaceX is expected to activate the water deluge system.

“As is the case with all developmental testing, the schedule is dynamic and likely to change, so be sure to stay tuned to our X account for updates,” SpaceX writes in its mission description.

The company explained that Starship’s first flight test, which happened on April 20 of this year, provided numerous lessons learned.

These lessons “directly contributed to several upgrades to both the vehicle and ground infrastructure to improve the probability of success on future flights,” SpaceX explained.

For example, the second flight test will debut a hot-stage separation system.

It will also feature a new electronic Thrust Vector Control (TVC) system for Super Heavy Raptor engines.

Moreover, the mission is providing reinforcements to the pad foundation and a water-cooled steel flame deflector, among many other enhancements,” SpaceX noted.

“Recursive improvement is essential as we work to build a fully reusable transportation system capable of carrying both crew and cargo to Earth orbit, help humanity return to the Moon, and ultimately travel to Mars and beyond,” the company added.

Since its first launch, Starship has been grounded by the US Federal Aviation Association (FAA).

The FAA demanded 63 compulsory changes before allowing Musk to relaunch the rocket after it exploded on April 20.

Musk thinks Starship has a “decent chance” of reaching orbit this time around.

Walter Isaacson, author of Elon Musk’s biography, said on X: “Starship is the most powerful rocket ever made.

“It’s designed to carry 100 people to Mars.”

Viewers can watch the flight on SpaceX’s website, as well as SpaceX’s account on X, formerly Twitter.

This post first appeared on Thesun.co.uk