SpaceX has already conducted some pre-launch checkouts on the seventh Starship vehicle, whose target launch date has not yet been announced. And that spacecraft will be quite different than the one that flew on Tuesday.
"The Ship has been stretched to make room for larger propellant tanks, increasing the propellant capacity from 1,200 tons to 1,500 tons," Kate Tice, a senior quality engineering manager at SpaceX, said during the Flight 6 launch webcast. (Flight 6's Ship spacecraft stood about 165 feet, or 50 meters, tall.)
The satellite was initially expected to be launched in 2024 on an LVM 3, but shifted to Falcon 9 due to the satellite being 700 kg overweight for a successful launch on indigenous platforms.Hence, the commercial arm of ISRO, New Space India Limited signed a contract with SpaceX for a possible liftoff in the second quarter of 2024. The SpaceX deal is significant because India had previously relied on the France-led Arianespace consortium to launch its heavy communication satellites, including the now-retired Ariane 5, which ISRO was hoping to use as a backup.
Rakesh Sharma is a legendary figure in India's space history, renowned for becoming the first Indian to travel to space. His achievement, which took place during the Cold War era in 1984, continues to inspire millions in India and around the world.