SpaceX achieved a successful launch of its huge and powerful Starship from Texas on Thursday, being able to return both stages of the spacecraft to Earth in a controlled manner, a milestone it had not achieved in its first three tests.
The liftoff occurred around 7:50 local time (12:50 GMT) and the landing of the Super Heavy booster happened about six minutes later in the waters of the Gulf of Mexico, near Boca Chica, after separating from the capsule. Meanwhile, the journey for the Starship capsule lasted just over an hour and, although with some damage, it landed in the Indian Ocean.
“Splashdown confirmed! Congratulations to the entire SpaceX team for an exciting fourth Starship flight test!” the company stated on its X account. Its owner, Elon Musk, also joined in the joy and mentioned the loss of “many” pieces and the damage to others.
This was the fourth test flight of the Starship, the largest and most powerful spacecraft in the world that aims to reach outer space. The first two tests, conducted in 2023, did not meet the set objectives. In the first one, the spacecraft exploded minutes after takeoff, while in the second one, the two parts did not separate and the controllers activated an emergency system that intentionally exploded the rocket.
The company emphasized that all of these are learning flights and highlights that they have made progress in each one. The advancements pave the way for the United States to return to the Moon and reach Mars.
In this fourth flight, more than reaching the planned orbit, which SpaceX took for granted, the goal was to “demonstrate the capability to return and reuse Starship and Super Heavy,” which includes achieving “controlled re-entry” of the spacecraft.
In the March attempt, the spacecraft successfully reached the boundaries of the Earth’s atmosphere, but failed to complete its descent from a height of 160 kilometers and at a speed of 26,000 km/h. On that occasion, neither of the two stages managed to return to Earth.
SpaceX announced more tests for this year of the Starship, a spacecraft designed for long-range trips, capable of carrying crew and large satellites, and with cost savings from its reusability.
The US space agency NASA selected this vehicle to land crew members on the lunar surface for the Artemis III mission, which in 2026, and for the first time in over half a century, will send astronauts from the US to the natural satellite.
“We are one step closer to returning humanity to the Moon through Artemis and then looking towards Mars,” NASA administrator Bill Nelson said on X on Thursday, congratulating the test.
NASA astronaut Raja Chari, who attended the historic launch in Boca Chica on Thursday, agreed that this is the path “to return to the Moon.” Like him, dozens of curious onlookers and tourists gathered from the night before at Isla Blanca Beach, on South Padre Island, 1.5 kilometers from Starbase, Musk’s space complex in Boca Chica, a border town with the state of Tamaulipas (Mexico).
Source: Sinc Agency
via: MiMub in Spanish
