Raumfahrt: Riesen-Rakete Starship zu Erdumrundung aufgebrochen

SpaceX's colossal Starship rocket, crafted by tech-billionaire Elon Musk, embarked on an extraordinary test flight as a large rocket system launched from a spaceport in Texas on Monday morning (local time). The mission, initially scheduled to last ten hours, aimed to enter Earth's orbit and circumnavigate the globe approximately six times.

According to initial SpaceX reports, the orbit insertion went according to plan. However, roughly an hour after takeoff, the company disclosed that the Starship would return to Earth around three hours into the orbit, significantly earlier than anticipated. The reason for this was not immediately disclosed. The rocket was subsequently designed to crash into the Pacific Ocean.

Furthermore, the mission was to deploy Starlink satellites, known as V3 satellites, which, upon deployment, would extend their antennas and solar panels and establish connections with Earth and other Starlink satellites. Initial information pointed to the successful execution of this aspect of the mission. The Starship satellite deployment had previously been simulated in testing on multiple occasions.

This marks the 14th test flight of the Starship system. The system, larger than the Statue of Liberty, comprises two sections: the approximately 70-meter-long Super Heavy booster and the upper Starship stage, measuring about 50 meters. Both parts are engineered to be reusable upon return to Earth. The US space agency NASA intends to use the Starship to send astronauts to the Moon, while SpaceX also aims to reach Mars in the future.

The rocket system underwent its first test in April 2023, which ended in a complete explosion after just a few minutes. Subsequent tests saw the upper stage reach orbit and land safely in the Indian Ocean. However, several test flights had been significantly behind schedule.