On Thursday, SpaceX attempted to complete an hour-long test flight of its powerful rocket for the third time. However, the spacecraft was ultimately unsuccessful during its descent back to Earth.

The company reported losing communication with Starship as it approached its destination of a water landing in the Indian Ocean. The first-stage booster also experienced disintegration, breaking apart sooner during the flight over the Gulf of Mexico after launching from southern Texas near the border with Mexico.

Unfortunately, the spaceship has been unable to land today as reported by Dan Huot from SpaceX. Despite this setback, it is remarkable to witness the significant progress made during this attempt.

Last year, two trial flights resulted in explosions shortly after takeoff. Therefore, Thursday’s successful flight lasted close to 50 minutes and was seen as a victory by both SpaceX CEO Elon Musk and NASA. This was due to the fact that the Starship spacecraft went higher and farther than ever before. NASA is depending on Starship to successfully transport astronauts to the moon in the next few years.

The Starship, measuring 400 feet (121 meters), is the largest and most robust rocket ever constructed. On Thursday morning, it took off and headed east over the Gulf of Mexico, drawing spectators to the adjacent beaches of South Padre Island and Mexico.

Shortly after, the booster detached smoothly from the spacecraft, but split apart at a height of 1,500 feet (462 meters) above the gulf, rather than plunging into the water as one piece. At this point, the spacecraft had already moved far to the east and was still ascending, without any individuals or satellites aboard.

During its journey across the Atlantic and South Africa, Starship reached an altitude of approximately 145 miles (233 kilometers) before heading towards the Indian Ocean. However, after 49 minutes of flight, all communication was lost and it is likely that the spacecraft disintegrated.

At that moment, the altitude was 40 miles (65 kilometers) and the speed was approximately 16,000 mph (25,700 kph).

Elon Musk of SpaceX recently offered congratulations to his team. He communicated his message through X, previously known as Twitter. The aerospace company was established on Thursday, marking a significant milestone of 22 years.

NASA closely monitored the situation: For NASA to successfully send astronauts to the moon within the next 2 years, the Starship mission must be a success. This group of new astronauts, the first since the Apollo program in the last century, will use a Starship to reach the lunar surface after moving from NASA’s Orion capsule in lunar orbit.

Bill Nelson, the NASA Administrator, promptly praised SpaceX for their successful test flight, an essential step in the agency’s Artemis program to land on the moon.

The bullet-shaped spacecraft, made of stainless steel, was launched using a first-stage booster called the Super Heavy. Both the booster and spacecraft were designed for reuse, however, it was not intended for them to be salvaged on Thursday.

During the first launch of Starship in April, there were issues with 33 of the engines fueled by methane. As a result, the booster did not detach from the spacecraft, leading to the explosion and crash of the entire vehicle into the Gulf after four minutes of liftoff.

In November’s test flight, SpaceX successfully doubled the duration of the flight. Despite all 33 engines firing and the booster separating as intended, the flight ultimately concluded with two explosions, first on the booster and then on the spacecraft.

The Starship made all necessary corrections and received approval from the Federal Aviation Administration for Thursday’s launch. The FAA has stated that it will conduct another investigation into the flight. According to SpaceX, all 33 booster engines performed successfully during takeoff, as they did during the second flight.

At first, SpaceX intends to utilize the large rockets for launching the Starlink internet satellites and other spacecraft belonging to the company. Test pilots will then be sent to orbit, followed by wealthy customers who will take a trip around the moon and return. Musk sees the moon as a necessary stop on the way to his ultimate goal of reaching Mars.

NASA is insisting that an empty Starship land successfully on the moon, before future moonwalkers climb aboard. The space agency is targeting the end of 2026 for the first moon landing crew under the Artemis program, named after the mythological twin sister of Apollo.

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The Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group provides support for the Associated Press Health and Science Department. The AP is solely responsible for all of its content.

Source: wral.com