On Tuesday, SpaceX ignited excitement with its ninth uncrewed test flight of the futuristic Starship from the Starbase launch site near Brownsville, Texas. Fueling Elon Musk's ambitious dream of multiplanetary travel, this mission was a bold move after the last two attempts ended in explosive failure.
The impressive two-stage spacecraft, featuring a Starship upper stage atop a towering Super Heavy booster, roared off at around 7:36 p.m. EDT. A live webcast captured the breathtaking launch, with powerful Raptor engines lighting up the early evening sky in a spectacular display of fire, water vapor, and energy 🚀.
In a first for the program, SpaceX flew a previously used Super Heavy booster to test the potential for reusability. Minutes into the flight, the 232-foot booster successfully separated from the Starship upper stage before communication was lost during its descent, with the booster believed to have plunged into the sea.
The Starship upper stage kept climbing, reaching its scheduled suborbital trajectory about nine minutes after liftoff. However, not everything went as planned. In a hiccup during the flight, the payload doors did not open to release simulated satellites. Later, a loss of attitude control led the vehicle into a spin, complicating its planned descent and controlled splashdown in the Indian Ocean.
The flight was given the green light by federal regulators just four days ago after a nearly two-month pause following previous mishaps that disrupted operations in parts of the Caribbean. As one SpaceX commentator noted during the livestream, the vehicle was not aligned for re-entry, making a safe landing highly unlikely. Despite these challenges, every test brings invaluable insights on the path to success.
It may have been a bumpy ride, but the world of space innovation always involves pushing boundaries and learning from each trial. Stay tuned for more updates on SpaceX's continuing journey towards making space travel a reality!
Reference(s):
SpaceX Starship launches on ninth test flight after last two blew up
cgtn.com
