SpaceX gets a new feats during the 6th major test launch of its Starship system but nixed an eagerly anticipate midair “catch” of the rocket’s booster as President-elect Donald Trump look on in South Texas.
SpaceX’s launch system, comprise of the booster and Starship upper spacecraft, clear the tower shortly after 4 p.m. local time on Tuesday.
But minutes into the flight, SpaceX scrap plans to attempt to catch the booster with giant mechanical arms, refer to as “chopsticks”, which the company completed during its previous flight.
The booster, dubs Super Heavy, was still able to perform a control landing in the ocean.
After Super Heavy land in the Gulf of Mexico, Starship continue its voyage through space.
At one point, it successfully reignite one of its Raptor engines, the first time SpaceX was able to do so during these flight tests.
Starship will need to reignite its engines in order to control its descent to Earth and maneuver through space.
As Starship then circle most of the globe before plunging through the atmosphere about 45 minutes into the mission, its body engulf in the reddish orange glow of plasma as its upgrade heat shield endure intense temperatures while hurtling back to Earth.
Starship appeare to survive the reentry, moving its exterior flaps to help guide its descent, though some show signs of burn and slight damage.
Then, as Starship fell through clouds, it flip itself and reignite its engines to turn upright and softly splash into the Indian Ocean shortly after 6 p.m. New York time.
It then appeare to catch on fire.
The largest and most powerful rocket ever develop, Starship is under contract to function as a lunar lander that NASA will use to put people back on the moon for the first time in half a century.
It’s the centerpiece of Elon Musk’s ambition to start a settlement on Mars.
The vehicle is also meant to revolutionise SpaceX’s business plan and design to be fully reusable, Starship will be much cheaper to fly than any other rocket, according to SpaceX, and will eventually replace the company’s industry-leading Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy rockets.
But to meet that promise of delivering a fully reusable rocket, SpaceX must refine its technique for recovering all of the pieces of Starship after launch.
Splashdown confirmed! Congratulations to the entire SpaceX team on an exciting sixth flight test of Starship! pic.twitter.com/bf98Va9qmL
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) November 19, 2024
Around the time SpaceX abort the booster catch, Donald Trump and Elon Musk left to visit the Starfactory courtyard for a visual tour of the factory bays and rockets.
Donald Trump had arrive at a launch viewing location with Elon Musk about an hour before liftoff.
Donald Trump, wearing a blue suit and red MAGA hat, stood flank by allies, including Texas Republican Senator Ted Cruz and Donald Trump Jr., as the group pepper Elon Musk with questions on how the launch works.
It was Donald Trump’s first visit to a Starship launch.
It follows many appearances with Elon Musk, who has spent a significant amount of time at Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate, joining in on transition meetings and phone calls with foreign leaders.
Elon Musk, who campaign on behalf of Donald Trump in crucial swing state Pennsylvania, will lead a newly created Department of Government Efficiency, an entity that will recommend federal spending cuts, alongside former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy.
Elon Musk, who has a near-constant fixture of Donald Trump’s inner circle since the Nov. 5 election, has maintain that overregulation, especially surrounding Starship, factor into his decision to support the Republican.
SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell said that as many as 400 Starship flights were possible over the next four years.
That frequency can only happen if SpaceX perfects its landing strategy, so the company can quickly turn around the rockets for their next flights.
Shotwell describe the process as similar to the way airlines drive down the cost of owning and operating commercial jetliners.
During the October 2024 test, the booster came very close to crashing near the tower, Elon Musk said in a video on his X platform.
SpaceX will need to address that issue as well as a laundry list of other things, such as refueling the vehicle in space, before Starship lives up to the full scope of Elon Musk’s plans.
