'Furthest and fastest' SpaceX loses Starship during reentry
BOCA CHICA, Texas (ValleyCentral) — SpaceX launched its third test of the most powerful rocket ever built - Starship from Boca Chica Beach. The rocket made it past stage separation on Thursday morning and into Earth's orbit.
The third test flight was targeted for Thursday morning, with a 110-minute test window opening at 7 a.m., SpaceX announced in a news release.
The rocket took off at 8:25 a.m. CT.
After Starship took flight, the Super Heavy booster completed its ascent and ignited all 33 of its Raptor engines.
"We demonstrated a successful hot-staging separation for the second time," SpaceX commentators announced during its livestream. The booster also executed its planned flip maneuver.
Additionally, Super Heavy completed its boost back burn which was a top goal for SpaceX during this test flight. However, the booster did not quite accomplish the landing burn and had a hard splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico.
Another top goal for Starship during this flight test was the opening and closing of the Pez door, which is where SpaceX plans to deploy Starlink satellites in the future.
Ultimately, SpaceX lost Starship during its re-entry period. A stream of the re-entry showed images of high heat generating due to friction as belly of Starship made contact with the Earth's atmosphere. This resulted in plasma halo which caused a blackout to Starlink receptors.
The ship did not make it to the target splashdown in the Indian Ocean.
"The third flight test aims to build on what we’ve learned from previous flights while attempting a number of ambitious objectives, including the successful ascent burn of both stages, opening and closing Starship’s payload door, a propellant transfer demonstration during the upper stage’s coast phase, the first ever re-light of a Raptor engine while in space, and a controlled reentry of Starship," a release from SpaceX stated.
Additionally, SpaceX announced the third test flight will feature a new trajectory, with a targeted splashdown in the Indian Ocean. The new flight path will allow for the testing of new techniques, like in-space engine burns, while maximizing public safety.
The 397-foot tall rocket, which consists of the Starship spacecraft and Super Heavy booster, represent a transportation system designed to get humans to the moon, Mars and beyond, according to SpaceX.
The third launch comes weeks after the FAA concluded its investigation into the second launch of Starship, which exploded over the Gulf of Mexico.
Watch the first and second Starship launches in the video player below.