After its most successful launch test to date, Elon Musk‘s record-breaking SpaceX Starship had a third stroke of luck today.
The Super Heavy booster successfully detached today, following two unsuccessful attempts in which the first stage self-destructed. Meanwhile, the second stage, Starship, entered orbit and ignited its six Raptor engines.
Commentators have described the Super Heavy booster as “lost,” implying that it was compelled to self-destruct as it was about to splashdown back into the ocean.
It did, however, accomplish the rocket family’s renowned “flip” maneuver in preparation for landing, which was a crucial step toward becoming the largest reusable rocket in the world.
It appears that this prevented a controlled fall because the boosters were unable to relight. In order to stop it from plunging into the water at full speed, the ground control team probably gave the order for it to self-destruct at this moment.
The test flight also aimed to test the payload door’s (also known as the “pez dispenser”) ability to open and close, which it accomplished flawlessly.
Standing at 120m tall, Starship is the biggest and most powerful rocket ever built.
Its maiden voyage last April ended in dramatic fashion when it lost control and exploded four minutes after launching.
Debris from the rocket spewed out and scattered into the Gulf of Mexico waters.
A second test in November was classed a success after the rocket successfully lifted off – despite losing the second stage and the first once again having to self-destruct.
Starship is coasting in space pic.twitter.com/ZFUXMUkufW
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) March 14, 2024
Like SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rockets, the vertical take-off and landing Starship system is designed to be fully reusable.
Somewhat confusingly named, it is comprised of two parts – Starship and the Super Heavy booster.
The first stage, the Super Heavy booster, provides the initial thrust for liftoff from 33 Raptor engines.
The second stage, Starship, is designed to carry cargo and crew into space. It will also deliver Nasa’s Artemis pilots to the lunar surface – the Super Heavy booster will not be needed to take-off again because of the lower gravity on the Moon.
However, Nasa’s 2025 timeline for sending humans back to the Moon has now been pushed back to 2026.
Of course, the April explosion was far from the first Starship suffered.
The journey began with the small ‘Spacehopper’ prototype, which hovered just 120m off the ground before landing.
Later iterations didn’t fare so well, with two vehicles, SN8 and SN9, landing too quickly and exploding on impact. SN10 appeared to land safely but exploded shortly after due to a fuel leak caused by the landing.
SN11 broke up on its descent.
SpaceX is nothing if not determined though, and with its lofty ambitions of putting humans on Mars, the journey continues.
