SpaceX founder, Elon Musk revealed the flaws and triumphs of SpaceX’s April 20 launch on Twitter on Saturday in a Twitter Space.
According to CNBC, Musk stated that SpaceX intends to spend approximately $2 billion on the Starship rocket in 2023 without raising extra funds.
After the mega-rocket exploded, the tech billionaire congratulated the SpaceX team on a “exciting test launch” in the subscribers-only Twitter Space on Saturday, writing in a tweet that he “learned a lot for next test launch in a few months.”
“The outcome was roughly in line with, and perhaps slightly exceeding, my expectations, which was that we would get clear of the pad,” Musk told listeners on Saturday.
In terms of a schedule, Musk stated that there is an 80% possibility that the Starship would reach orbit in 2023, and the chances are considerably better for the next year.
“I think close to 100% change of reaching orbit within 12 months,” he stated.
On April 20, the engines of the 40-story mega-rocket launched debris into the air, reaching a village some five miles away. The booster then failed to separate around 24 miles above the ground, allowing the rocket to plummet and leaving the SpaceX team with little choice except to destroy it in an explosion.
Musk has been enthusiastic about trying again in six to eight weeks because SpaceX is working on additional Starship prototypes.