Raumfahrt: Riesen-Rakete Starship bricht zu mehrfacher Erdumrundung auf

SpaceX's colossal Starship rocket, crafted by tech billionaire Elon Musk, soared into the sky on Monday morning from a launchpad in Texas for an extraordinary test flight. The mission, spanning approximately ten hours, aimed to enter Earth's orbit and circumvent the planet around six times. Initial reports from SpaceX confirmed that the spacecraft successfully entered orbit, and it was also reported that Starlink satellites, known as V3, would be launched during the mission.

These satellites are designed to deploy their antennas, unfold solar panels, and establish connections with Earth and other Starlink satellites upon their deployment. Initial reports indicated that the satellite deployment phase went smoothly, following the largely successful test. The Starship system, larger than the Statue of Liberty, has undergone 14 test flights so far.

The rocket consists of two parts: a 70-meter-long booster named Super Heavy and the upper stage, also called Starship, measuring around 50 meters. Both components are designed to be reusable after returning to Earth. NASA aims to use Starship to send astronauts to the Moon, while SpaceX's long-term goal is to reach Mars. The rocket system made its debut in April 2023, but it exploded shortly after in its initial test.

Subsequent tests saw the upper stage reach orbit and land safely in the Indian Ocean. However, several test flights have lagged behind expectations.