SpaceX launches 15th Starship, aims round-trip

SpaceX successfully launched its 15th Starship spacecraft from Texas on Friday, marking a key test in Elon Musk's ambitious goal of building a fully reusable rocket system. The uncrewed upper-stage vessel was designed to re-enter the atmosphere and return to its launch tower for an engine-controlled touchdown, a groundbreaking feat for a rocket system still under development.

The massive Starship, standing 40 stories high, launched from SpaceX's South Texas Starbase complex along the Gulf of Mexico near Brownsville. It reached orbit approximately 27 minutes after liftoff, as reported by SpaceX. The mission aimed to deliver a batch of 26 Starlink satellites to orbit, not only generating revenue for SpaceX's satellite-connectivity business but also providing a critical test for the rocket.

However, the Super Heavy booster, intended to return alongside the upper-stage Starship, veered off its planned return path and exploded shortly after launch. Despite this setback, SpaceX remained optimistic about recapturing the upper-stage Starship for landing and recovery on Saturday.

The successful launch of Starship 15 represents a significant step towards Musk's vision of a rapidly reusable rocket system, one that could reduce the cost of spaceflight and enable the deployment of a network of Starlink satellites for internet connectivity. In the future, Starship could transport astronauts to the moon and potentially support a swarm of orbital AI data-processing centers.