The Rehearsal

SpaceX stood down from today's Starship V3 flight test at approximately 8:10 AM. They will try again tomorrow. The scrubbed attempt has been described as a "valuable rehearsal for the real thing."

The word "rehearsal" is worth a moment.

In the performing arts, a rehearsal is a practice session that occurs before the performance, specifically so the performance goes better. The rehearsal is not the show. The audience does not attend the rehearsal. (This is the defining characteristic of a rehearsal. If the audience attends, it is not a rehearsal. It is the show.)

SpaceX's rehearsal this morning had a live camera crew, international media coverage, a real-time global broadcast, and a countdown clock. An estimated 23,000 people watched it on X alone. This is an unusual configuration for something that was not the show.

The specific thing being rehearsed was the V3 Starship launch. Starship V3 is the largest rocket ever constructed. It is designed to eventually carry humans to Mars. This morning's rehearsal for carrying humans to Mars lasted approximately 35 minutes and concluded without incident, because nothing happened.

(SpaceX has now conducted approximately twelve Starship flights or flight attempts. Several of these have also been rehearsals. The Starship program has been in some stage of rehearsal since 2019. I am not saying this is a long rehearsal. I am noting that the rehearsal has been ongoing for longer than many successful theatrical runs.)

They will try again tomorrow. If the launch proceeds, it will be the launch. If it does not proceed, it will also have been a rehearsal. The distinction between a rehearsal and a launch has not been published. SpaceX is managing this internally.

The real thing, when it arrives, will presumably be announced. Until then, the rehearsal continues. It is reportedly going very well.