Oh my stars and planets, I’m bursting with excitement! I just heard that Elon Musk’s SpaceX is preparing to launch its incredible new Starship rocket system into space for the first time, and I can hardly contain my enthusiasm!

Today is the day, and I can hardly wait to see the awe-inspiring power of this technological marvel in action.

The rocket ship is towering 394 feet (120 meters) high, standing taller than the iconic Statue of Liberty.

The launch will take place from the SpaceX facility at Boca Chica, Texas, during a two-hour window that opens at 8 a.m. EDT (1200 GMT).

I can’t even imagine the incredible spectacle of watching this mighty rocket soar up into the sky!

This test mission is a monumental milestone for SpaceX, and indeed for all of humanity.

Whether or not all the objectives are met, this launch is an important step towards the ultimate goal of sending humans back to the moon and beyond, to Mars.

It’s also a central goal of NASA’s renewed spaceflight program, which aims to integrate the Starship into its future missions.

Of course, SpaceX faces enormous challenges in launching such a powerful rocket.

But Elon Musk is not one to shy away from a challenge. He has said that success is not guaranteed, but the best-case scenario would provide vital data about the rocket’s performance during ascent to space and its planned return to Earth.

Musk is a true visionary, and his enthusiasm and determination are infectious.

Earlier on Sunday, SpaceX announced that its launch teams were moving ahead with flight preparations while keeping a watchful eye on potential wind-shear conditions that could force a delay.

Musk himself admitted that it’s more likely that the flight will be postponed than launched on Monday. But that’s okay – the excitement will just build and build until the momentous day finally arrives.

Both the lower-stage Super Heavy booster rocket and the upper-stage Starship cruise vessel are designed to be reusable components, capable of flying back to Earth for soft landings.

This has become a routine maneuver for SpaceX’s smaller Falcon 9 rocket, but the Starship is a whole different animal.

The first test flight will be an expendable one, lasting no more than 90 minutes, and neither stage will be recovered.

This is a nerve-wracking moment for everyone involved, but the prototypes of the Starship cruise vessel have already completed five sub-space flights up to 6 miles (10 km) above Earth in recent years.

The Super Heavy booster has never left the ground, but in February, SpaceX successfully test-fired the booster, igniting 31 of its 33 Raptor engines for roughly 10 seconds while the rocket was bolted in place vertically atop a platform.

The Federal Aviation Administration granted a license for this long-awaited test flight last Friday, clearing the final regulatory hurdle.

If all goes as planned, all 33 Raptor engines will ignite simultaneously, launching the Starship on a flight that nearly completes a full orbit of the Earth before it re-enters the atmosphere and free-falls into the Pacific at supersonic speed about 60 miles (97 km) off the northern Hawaiian islands.

The Super Heavy booster will execute the beginnings of a controlled return flight before plunging into the Gulf of Mexico.

The Starship’s blazing re-entry over the Pacific will test its ability to aerodynamically steer itself using large flaps and heat shielding to withstand the intense friction generated as it plummets through the atmosphere.

Musk has likened the ship to a meteor, and he’s not wrong!

This is just the first step in a long journey that will require many flights, Musk said.

Additional Super Heavy boosters are already on deck in Boca Chica for future test flights.