SpaceX’s Starship enters Earth’s orbit, but booster catch aborted
The 124-metre Starship roared into the sky from Starbase in southern Texas for its 15th test flight, but minutes later, the landmark nature of the mission went awry.
On Friday, SpaceX's Starship rocket blasted off from Starbase in southern Texas for its 15th test flight, marking the world's most powerful rocket's journey into space. However, shortly after launch, an unspecified issue with the Super Heavy booster forced SpaceX to abort the recovery of both rocket stages. The 124-metre (407-foot) Starship spacecraft successfully entered Earth's orbit and was expected to circle the globe 14 times before its return on Saturday.
The booster, on the other hand, performed an offshore splashdown, with a section of it remaining vertical after falling into the Gulf of Mexico near the launch site. While the booster recovery was unsuccessful, SpaceX expressed optimism about the Starship's performance in orbit, stating that the vehicle and its heatshield remained healthy with no issues reported.
The mission's mixed outcome highlights the challenges SpaceX faces in developing fully reusable rocket systems, a goal that could revolutionize the space industry by reducing mission costs and enabling frequent launches.
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- SpaceX’s Starship enters Earth’s orbit, but booster catch aborted freemalaysiatoday.com
- SpaceX's Starship enters Earth's orbit, but booster catch aborted channelnewsasia.com
