SpaceX has pulled off a successful test flight of its newest generation rocket, Starship, reversing a trend of disappointing failures. The world's largest and most powerful rocket blasted off from Texas just after 18:30 local time for a nail-biting 60-minute flight.
Parts of the engine appeared to explode at one stage, and flaps on the side of the rocket caught fire and swung from side-to-side. US space agency NASA plans to use Starship to send humans to the Moon for its ambitious Artemis program in 2027.
Great work by the SpaceX team! posted SpaceX CEO Elon Musk on X. He will be welcoming the success after three Starship launches ended in failure this year, including one rocket that exploded on the launch pad in June.
Starship is designed as the most powerful rocket built to date, made up of a booster called Super Heavy and the spacecraft Starship. The test flight signs were positive from the start: all 33 engines fired, and the booster separated from the spacecraft before falling into the Gulf of Mexico.
Starship continued to ascend, reaching almost 200km above Earth, before coasting around the planet and displaying the data collection the company aimed for, testing the rocket's limits. Despite previous failures, Musk aims to certify Starship for human travel next year and launch uncrewed flights to Mars within twelve months.
This successful flight provides hope for both SpaceX and NASA, reinforcing the partnership's goals for future exploration beyond Earth.
Parts of the engine appeared to explode at one stage, and flaps on the side of the rocket caught fire and swung from side-to-side. US space agency NASA plans to use Starship to send humans to the Moon for its ambitious Artemis program in 2027.
Great work by the SpaceX team! posted SpaceX CEO Elon Musk on X. He will be welcoming the success after three Starship launches ended in failure this year, including one rocket that exploded on the launch pad in June.
Starship is designed as the most powerful rocket built to date, made up of a booster called Super Heavy and the spacecraft Starship. The test flight signs were positive from the start: all 33 engines fired, and the booster separated from the spacecraft before falling into the Gulf of Mexico.
Starship continued to ascend, reaching almost 200km above Earth, before coasting around the planet and displaying the data collection the company aimed for, testing the rocket's limits. Despite previous failures, Musk aims to certify Starship for human travel next year and launch uncrewed flights to Mars within twelve months.
This successful flight provides hope for both SpaceX and NASA, reinforcing the partnership's goals for future exploration beyond Earth.
