SpaceX's mega rocket Starship cuts through clouds and haze on it's third test flight from Starbase in Boca Chica, Texas, Thursday, March 14, 2024. Photo / AP
SpaceX's mega rocket Starship cuts through clouds and haze on it's third test flight from Starbase in Boca Chica, Texas, Thursday, March 14, 2024. Photo / AP
Elon Musk has claimed his Starship rocket will “make life multiplanetary” after its most successful launch to date.
The SpaceX founder’s comments came after the world’s largest spacecraft carried out its third test flight in Texas.
In a post published shortly after the mission, Musk, who has long harboured ambitions of colonising Mars, said: “Starship reached orbital velocity! Congratulations SpaceX team! Starship will make life multiplanetary.”
Staff at SpaceX’s Texas headquarters roared as Starship shut down its engines to coast through space for the first time after reaching a speed of around 26,500km/h and an altitude of 200km. They cheered as cameras recorded its descent into Earth’s atmosphere.
The Super Heavy Booster used to transport the spacecraft into orbit also crashed into the Gulf of Mexico after separating from Starship, as its engines failed to fully reignite for a soft landing at sea.
SpaceX also skipped a test to reignite Starship’s engines while in space, something that will be crucial for safely landing the spacecraft.
The test lacked the spectacle of SpaceX’s reusable rocket launches, in which the vehicles land vertically on launch pads, but provided views of the Earth and a rare glimpse of its rocket’s hull glowing with plasma as it descended.
Musk did not appear to be present at SpaceX mission control during the launch, having held meetings in Germany and France on Wednesday.
The launch was delayed by more than an hour because of weather conditions at SpaceX’s “Starbase” headquarters in Boca Chica, Texas.
SpaceX said it was closely watching wind conditions in the run-up to the launch, while there was also heavy fog.
However, the skies cleared shortly before the launch.
SpaceX’s last two Starship missions ended mere minutes after launch, but the third flight lasted more than an hour and the company was able to conduct a series of key tests.
The rocket is a vital part of Nasa’s plans to land astronauts on the moon in 2026, and Musk’s ultimate goal of sending humans to Mars.
The first two Starship tests had ended with the rocket exploding, although SpaceX insisted the launches had been moderate successes that had informed changes to its design.
