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SpaceX launched its Starship megarocket but lost both the launch vehicle and spacecraft in a pair of explosions just after Saturday’s test flight. The rocket ship reached space
SpaceX launched its Starship megarocket but lost both the launch vehicle and spacecraft in a pair of explosions just after Saturday’s test flight. The rocket ship reached space after launching from South Texas, but communications were suddenly cut off. SpaceX officials said the ship’s self-destruct system appeared to blow it up over the Gulf of Mexico.
The flight ended as the ship’s engines were almost ready to send it around the world. The first test flight in April also ended in an explosion. On Saturday, a separate launch vehicle also exploded over the bay about three minutes into the flight. But by then it was over.
Despite the odds, the nearly eight-minute flight lasted twice as long as the April test. At nearly 400 feet (121 meters) tall, Starship is the largest and most powerful rocket ever built to carry humans to the Moon and Mars.
Starship launch livestream https://t.co/hRmOPXJ296
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) 18 November 2023
“The real icing on the cake today is this successful launch,” said SpaceX commentator John Inspruker.
Commentator Kate Tice added: “We have a lot of data and it will all help us improve on the next flight.”
SpaceX founder Elon Musk monitored the launch via launch controllers near Boca Chica Beach, at the southern tip of Texas, near the Mexican border. At the company’s headquarters in Hawthorne, California, employees applauded as Starship finally took off at dawn. The room fell silent as it became clear that the spaceship had been destroyed and crashed into the bay. The launch vehicle also fell into the bay.
Even if it didn’t enter full orbit, SpaceX aimed to reach an altitude of 150 miles (240 kilometers), enough to send the spherical spacecraft around the earth before plunging into the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Hawaii about 1.5 hours after liftoff.
Since its demo flight in April, SpaceX has made dozens of improvements to the booster and its 33 engines, as well as to the launch pad. The Federal Aviation Administration cleared the rocket for flight on Wednesday, confirming that all safety and environmental requirements were met.
Source: Port Altele
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