SpaceX Successfully Launches Starship Rocket on Third Test Flight
SpaceX achieved a major milestone on Thursday with the successful launch of its Starship rocket on its third test flight. The company pushed the development of the massive vehicle to new heights as it reached space during the test flight.
The launch took place at SpaceX’s Starbase facility near Boca Chica, Texas, at around 9:25 a.m. ET. The rocket flew further than in previous tests, lasting about an hour before breaking up above the Indian Ocean. While the intended ending of the flight was for the vehicle to splash down in the water, it did not happen as planned.
Dan Huot, communications manager at SpaceX, announced the loss of Ship 28 during the company’s webcast. Despite this setback, the flight represents a significant step toward SpaceX completing prototype testing and beginning operational Starship launches.
Elon Musk, the CEO of SpaceX, took to social media to congratulate the company on the successful test flight, stating that “Starship reached orbital velocity!” NASA chief Bill Nelson also praised SpaceX for the achievement, highlighting the importance of Starship in NASA’s Artemis moon program.
The Starship system, designed to be fully reusable, aims to revolutionize space travel by providing a new method of flying cargo and people beyond Earth. The rocket is crucial to NASA’s plans for returning astronauts to the moon, as SpaceX won a multibillion-dollar contract from the agency to use Starship as a crewed lunar lander.
SpaceX’s approach to developing Starship focuses on building on what has been learned from previous flights, emphasizing recursive improvement to the rocket. Musk has projected a significant investment in Starship development, with plans to spend about $2 billion on it in 2023.
Standing at 397 feet tall when fully stacked on the Super Heavy booster, Starship is both the tallest and most powerful rocket ever launched. The system utilizes liquid oxygen and liquid methane as propellants, requiring more than 10 million pounds of propellant for launch.
During the test flight, SpaceX tested several new capabilities, including opening and closing the spacecraft’s door once in space and transferring fuel during the flight. The company did not perform a planned demonstration of relighting the rocket’s engines while in space.
Overall, SpaceX’s successful test flight marks a significant step forward in the development of the Starship rocket system and sets the stage for future missions to the moon and Mars.
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