SpaceX's new prototype will soon reach an altitude of 18 km

SpaceX rocket takes off from Cape Canaveral, Florida on May 30, 2020. -

SpaceX's development of the Starship rocket is preparing to take a new step forward with the completion of construction of the latest prototype of the spacecraft dubbed SN8,

reports

.

Elon Musk indeed announced this Saturday on his Twitter account that the machine "should be ready in about a week".

The CEO of the space exploration company took the opportunity to clarify that the next flight of the aircraft would have nothing to do with the previous launches.

Once Starship's "flaps and cone-shaped nose" will be operational, the ship will take off "to 60,000 feet (over 18 kilometers) and return," the whimsical entrepreneur said on the social network.

This test can only take place after ground checks of the system via a static firing test, Elon Musk detailed.

SN8 Starship with flaps & nosecone should be done in about a week.

Then static fire, checkouts, static fire, fly to 60,000 ft & back.

- Elon Musk (@elonmusk) September 12, 2020

"Guaranteed fun"

“One way or another the fun is guaranteed,” he commented.

The Starship rocket had so far only been tested for low-altitude launches,

recalls

.

The site specializing in new technology news, however, notes that SpaceX has not communicated any date scheduled for this symbolic stage of the program intended to eventually allow space travel.

The company had sent to the American authorities last February a request for high altitude flight.

Still, when this test takes place, the ship will not officially reach space.

The definitions of the altitude threshold from which the sky becomes space vary but this limit is located at least at a height of 62,000 feet above our heads.

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