For upcoming space mission, Elon Musk eyes waters off Hawaii to land rocket

In this March 14, 2019, file photo, Tesla CEO Elon Musk speaks before unveiling the Model Y at...
In this March 14, 2019, file photo, Tesla CEO Elon Musk speaks before unveiling the Model Y at Tesla's design studio in Hawthorne, Calif. Musk is going on trial for his troublesome tweets in a case pitting the billionaire against a British diver he allegedly dubbed a pedophile.(AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File)
Published: May. 13, 2021 at 8:55 PM HST
Email This Link
Share on Pinterest
Share on LinkedIn

HONOLULU, Hawaii (HawaiiNewsNow) - A spacecraft may be splashing down off the coast of Hawaii as SpaceX CEO Elon Musk plans to launch an orbital flight test for his newest rocket.

In filings to the Federal Communications Commission, Musk said he plans to make a soft ocean landing about 62 miles off the northwest coast of Kauai.

The billionaire said this rocket launch is part of a mission in which he plans on testing SpaceX’s Starship rocket.

According to prototypes, Starship stands at about 160 feet tall and is built of stainless steel. The rocket will launch from a “Super Heavy” booster, which makes up the bottom half of the rocket and stands at about 230 feet tall.

Musk said the Starship rocket will launch from Texas and spend 90 minutes in orbit until landing in Hawaiian waters.

SpaceX said it is working in coordination with the FCC, US Air Force, NASA and the FAA for the flight.

Although the timing of the flight has not been announced, Musk two months ago said SpaceX’s goal is to launch the orbital mission by July.

The company is developing Starship to launch cargo and people on missions to the moon and Mars.

Copyright 2021 Hawaii News Now. All rights reserved.