SpaceX's Starship rocket is on track for a March test flight attempt, according to fresh statements from the firm's chief Elon Musk. The second week of February saw renewed activities at the company's test facilities in Boca Chica, Texas, as SpaceX shipped its latest rocket booster to the launch pad. These rockets will make it to the third test flight, called the Starship Integrated Test Flight (IFT-3), and according to Musk, the rocket should be ready for yet another launch in at least three weeks.

根據該公司執行長 Elon Musk 的最新聲明，SpaceX 的 Starship 火箭預計將在 3 月進行試飛。 2 月第二週，該公司位於德克薩斯州博卡奇卡的測試設施恢復了活動，SpaceX 將其最新的火箭助推器運送到發射台。這些火箭將進行第三次試飛，稱為星艦綜合試飛（IFT-3），根據馬斯克的說法，火箭應該在至少三週內準備好再次發射。

Elon Musk Shares Fresh Details For Starship Launch As SpaceX Continues Launch Site Testing

Footage shared by local media and from SpaceX's official social media channels shows that the latest Starship Super Heavy rocket booster and second stage ship are on the launch pad for pre launch activities. So far, after it stacked the second stage on the booster yesterday, SpaceX has removed the rockets and is now working on the top of the booster close to its stage separation ring. This ring is a new addition to Starship's design, and it followed the first test flight in April last year when the rocket's first and second stages failed to successfully separate and led to an in flight explosion.

伊隆馬斯克在SpaceX 繼續進行發射場測試時分享了星艦發射的最新細節當地媒體和SpaceX 官方社交媒體渠道分享的視頻顯示，最新的星艦超重型火箭助推器和第二級飛船已在發射台上進行發射前活動。到目前為止，在昨天將第二級堆放在助推器上後，SpaceX 已經拆除了火箭，現在正在靠近其級分離環的助推器頂部進行工作。這個環是 Starship 設計中的新成員，去年 4 月進行了首次試飛，當時火箭的第一級和第二級未能成功分離並導致飛行中爆炸。

While initial speculation after the second Starship test flight late last year had hoped that SpaceX might conduct the next test soon, 2024 has seen few details about Boca Chica testing activities. Among the few things that are confirmed now are the facts that SpaceX will test in space propellant transfer later this year, and that a third test flight, along with subsequent ones, is also on the cards.

相關報告SpaceX 在第三次飛行嘗試之前進行了令人驚訝的星艦測試雖然去年底第二次星艦測試飛行後最初的猜測是希望SpaceX 可能很快進行下一次測試，但關於2024 年博卡奇卡測試活動的細節很少。目前已確認的幾件事包括 SpaceX 將在今年稍後進行太空推進劑傳輸測試，第三次試飛以及後續的試飛也已在計劃之中。

A rapid cadence of test flights is the backbone of the Starship program since it enables SpaceX to collect a treasure trove of data to fine tune its rockets and upgrade them for future missions.

快速的試飛節奏是 Starship 計劃的支柱，因為它使 SpaceX 能夠收集大量數據來微調其火箭並對其進行升級以適應未來的任務。

SpaceX's Starship rocket as it makes its way to the pad in February 2024. Image: SpaceX

2024 年 2 月，SpaceX 的星艦火箭抵達發射台。圖片來源：SpaceX

Now, after the brief lull on the Starship front, SpaceX chief Elon Musk is back on X with a fresh timeline for the third Starship test flight. This test was initially expected to take place in February, but the FAA's revelation that SpaceX is yet to submit documents related to the second test flight last week hinted that perhaps IFT-3 would take longer than initially expected.

現在，在星際飛船前線短暫平靜之後，SpaceX 執行長馬斯克帶著第三次星際飛船試飛的新時間表回到了 X。這項測試最初預計於 2 月進行，但美國聯邦航空管理局 (FAA) 透露 SpaceX 尚未提交上週第二次試飛的相關文件，這暗示 IFT-3 可能需要比最初預期更長的時間。

Musk's latest comments, made in response to the rapper Ye asking him when the next test flight would take place, promise that it should take place "in about 3 weeks"  - effectively confirming that February will not be the month that Starship attempts to fly to the heavens for the third time.

馬斯克的最新評論是在回答說唱歌手葉問他下一次試飛何時進行時做出的，他承諾應該“在大約三週內”進行——有效地確認了二月不會是星艦試圖飛往的月份第三次上天。

Should the third test flight take place in March, then it will mark nearly a year since the first test in 2023. The new water deluge system installed at the pad following the first test flight took a large bite out of SpaceX's test schedule, and it eventually ensured that 2023 would only see two tests of a rocket that the firm is eager to remind everyone is part of a 'hardware rich' program.

如果第三次試飛在3 月進行，那麼距離2023 年第一次測試已經過去近一年了。第一次試飛後安裝在發射台上的新水淋系統佔用了SpaceX 的測試時間表很大一部分。最終確保 2023 年只會進行兩次火箭測試，該公司急於提醒大家這是“硬體豐富”計劃的一部分。

However, SpaceX also appears to be building another launch site at its Texas facilities, hinting that perhaps future Starship launches might see vehicles tested in rapid succession. This will depend on the FAA's clearance, as SpaceX's current Starship launch authorizations limit it to only one test per authorization - as the FAA takes its time to understand each test and ensure that any reasons behind an accident or a failure are addressed before the world's largest rocket can attempt to take to the skies once again.

然而，SpaceX 似乎還在其德克薩斯州的工廠建造另一個發射場，這暗示未來的星艦發射可能會快速連續地對車輛進行測試。這將取決於FAA 的許可，因為SpaceX 目前的星艦發射授權限制每次授權只能進行一次測試- 因為FAA 需要時間來了解每項測試，並確保在世界上最大的發射機構之前解決事故或失敗背後的任何原因。火箭可以嘗試再次飛向天空。