SpaceX recently launched their second Starship flight test, and it produced some spectacular photos and videos. The enormous new heavy-lift booster and spacecraft are early in development, with plenty more flight tests to come.
The nearly 400 ft tall Starship lifted off on close to 17 million pounds of thrust, powered by 33 of the company’s Raptor engines. The rocket’s ascent appeared nominal, with all engines firing and on-target trajectory up until the booster and spacecraft performed staging separation.
“This is another chance to put Starship in a true flight environment, maximizing how much we learn,” said SpaceX. “Rapid iterative development is essential as we work to build a fully reusable launch system capable of carrying satellites, payloads, crew and cargo to a variety of orbits and Earth, lunar and Martian landing sites.”
The booster was attempting to conduct a controlled vertical splashdown [simulated]“landing” in the Gulf of Mexico, but instead it quickly left controlled descent and was blown up by SpaceX.
The prototype spacecraft meanwhile conducted its own engine burn for several minutes, climbing higher and faster than any Starship before it. But sadly, it too was lost shortly after, as it coasted over near Puerto Rico. The cause has not yet been released by SpaceX.
As is standard, the FAA is currently investigating the accident. The FAA oversees all commercial launch sites, and noted that the surrounding environment and communities were unharmed, so it is not expected to be a long investigation (which will be led by SpaceX).
SpaceX outlined the flight tests achievements below:
Elon Musk says the next Starship test could be ready to fly in 3-4 weeks. Whether the FAA grants than another launch license that soon, however, time will tell.
A reusable heavy-lift rocket and spacecraft to reach the Moon and Mars
Starship will become a fully reusable rocket and spacecraft, able to conduct heavy-lift missions with crew or cargos to orbit, the moon, and beyond – eventually Mars. SpaceX even envisions Starships flying point-to-point around Earth, landing vertically on rocket engines, before being hoisted atop another booster for the next launch.
Why fly a plane 20 hours, when Starship can get you there in 1 hour? SpaceX has already proven it can be done, they do it every week now with their Falcon-9 rockets. Their less-used Falcon Heavy also does the same. Starship is intended to replace both.
The giant boosters themselves, the most powerful ever flown, will land back on their launch pads.
Starships would also land / launch on and off other worlds the same way. NASA is counting on it, as the space agency has contracted Starship to be the lander for their first Artemis crews on the moon later this decade.
NASA has a timetable for returning to the moon. And they want to stay at the moon this time. They’ve developed the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft to do it. The SLS flew a flawless uncrewed lunar flight test in 2022.
A crewed flight test on Artemis-2 is scheduled for late 2023, with the first landing on Artemis-3 scheduled for possibly 2026. That crew would need to dock with a Starship, which will provide the vehicle needed to land on and launch off the lunar surface. While the latest launch offers progress, it is clear to see that much work is left to be done if this approach will ultimately be successful.
NASA wants to see many safe and successful Starship missions flown by SpaceX—as many as 20–before NASA puts their astronauts onboard for the moon.
