SpaceX achieved new milestones during its latest test of Starship, the massive reusable rocket the company is developing. Tuesday’s uncrewed flight marked the second full-scale launch of the 400-foot-tall vehicle.
Raptor engines
Lifting off from Texas, Starship’s 33 Raptor engines fired successfully – a big improvement from the first test where several failed. The launch infrastructure also fared better, suggesting upgrades worked.
Another key win was the novel “hot staging” separation of Starship from its Super Heavy booster mid-flight. Shortly after, flight termination systems on both stages triggered explosions for unknown reasons.
Valuable data gathered
While the flight ended prematurely around 7 minutes in, SpaceX hailed the test as an “incredibly successful day.
Valuable data was gathered on Starship’s performance up to staging separation.
Raptor’s powerful thrust
Raptor’s powerful 16.7 million pounds of thrust dwarfs Falcon 9’s 1.7 million, showcasing Starship’s ambitious scale.
SpaceX needs the giant rocket to launch satellites and eventually send humans to Mars.
NASA’s involvement
NASA is also banking on Starship for its Artemis moon missions, awarding SpaceX billions in contracts. But technical challenges remain before it’s ready to reach the moon or beyond.
Still, the heights achieved prove SpaceX is making steady progress in maturing Starship’s cutting-edge technologies through rapid testing. More fiery trials undoubtedly lie ahead on the road to orbit.
