Despite the failure of the first stage “economy” capture attempt, the sixth Starship test flight was successful. The second stage of the system, the ship, first demonstrated the possibility of maneuvering in orbit. To everyone’s surprise, the first stage managed to survive two explosions without losing lift. Donald Trump was among those watching the test.

On the night of November 20, Starship launched for the sixth time from the Boca Chica Cosmodrome in Texas. This was the last launch of the Starship V1 version: from 2025, the even larger Starship V2 will start flying.

The 121-meter system that took off today is the largest rocket in history so far. More than nine tons of fuel flew per second at the start of the first stage’s 33 engines, making the stage’s total thrust 74 meganewtons. This is 60% more than the previous most powerful missile in history, the N-1 Sergey Korolev.

The first stage worked well at launch, but the planned capture with the Mechazilla rig failed after seven minutes. This was due to problems with the readiness sensors of the capture tower. The photo shows the bending of the lightning rod, which performs the functions of the communication antenna in parallel. It is not yet clear whether the reason for the cancellation was his inclination or something else.

Otherwise, the tests were successful: Eight minutes after launch, the second stage began spaceflight. Almost 38 minutes after takeoff, it restarted one of its six Raptor engines for a few seconds and changed course slightly. Before this, SpaceX had not successfully restarted the engine in space (and maneuvering in space is impossible without it). Such a possibility is absolutely necessary for the safety of future flights, as well as the possibility of docking Starship in space and refueling in orbit.

Unlike all previous space systems, Starship must be refueled once in space, requiring docking with a dozen or so specialized tanker ships converted from the basic version of Starship. Therefore, the ability to maneuver in orbit is more important to it than to older space systems.

This time, the ship had a mock-up of the cargo: a seven-foot plush banana. This is supposed to be a visual indicator of the onset of weightlessness, but Starship is already equipped with systems that allow it to be monitored. Frankly, as often happens with SpaceX, the banana has become a manifestation of a peculiar sense of humor of the company’s chief designer.

Despite the technical possibility of launching a banana into orbit, the company did not do so. He returned to Earth with the second step. However, after 45 minutes of flight, it slowly descended into the Indian Ocean (for the first time during the day) and then floated on the surface for a while. Today’s atmospheric entry occurred without visible damage to the rudder area. Apparently, their modification was indicated after previous flights in which one of the rudders was partially destroyed.

The fate of the first stage Starship was somewhat unusual. After sensors on the tower indicated capture was impossible, the first stage departed for a pre-selected spot in the Gulf of Mexico, where it slowly landed with the help of three of its 33 rocket engines. Shortly after starting, an explosion sound was heard in some of the fuel.

However, the stage did not lose its buoyancy, and after drifting on the ocean surface for 1.5 hours, another explosion unexpectedly occurred. There was no immediate loss of buoyancy following this. Previously, the first stage sank much quicker: apparently changes in its design made it harder for water to get in.

The next major phase in testing SpaceX’s reusable space system will be in-orbit refueling (with the preliminary docking of two Starships). According to the official schedule agreed with NASA, this should happen in February 2025.

Many observers believe that SpaceX is already so far behind schedule due to constant delays by state regulators in issuing flight permits that it will not have time to do so on time. However, interlocking will most likely occur in the first half of 2025.