SPACE — A new video shows the dramatic second test flight of SpaceX’s giant spacecraft, Starship. The video includes two large explosions of the Super Heavy Rocket and the Starship spacecraft, approximately four minutes and eight minutes after liftoff on November 18, 2023, respectively.
The 1 minute and 54 second video was posted by SpaceX on the official Spacex YouTube account on December 7. The video begins with the moment the Starship breaks away from the runway and launches spectacularly.
Meanwhile, in the control room, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk appeared to witness the momentum directly. Moments later, Musk smiled after witnessing the separation of Super Heavy and Starship.
Musk and other SpaceX personnel were seen celebrating Starship which recorded several important achievements during the flight.
For example, the Super Heavy’s 33 Raptor engines worked well, firing for about 2.5 minutes, separating the rocket and spacecraft, until Starship fired its raptors on schedule.
Also read: Just exploded, Elon Musk orders the Starship megarocket to fly again next month
However, a few moments later, both of them exploded violently at different times. In the video, Musk can be seen scratching his head.
Similar to the flight on April 20 which also ended in an explosion, the test flight was supposed to take Starship around Earth, culminating in a landing in the Pacific Ocean near Hawaii. Meanwhile, Super Heavy will land first in the Gulf of Mexico, off the coast of Texas.
Third Test Flight
Currently, SpaceX is preparing for Starship’s third flight, less than a month from now if all the clearance documents are complete. The US Federal Aviation Administration, which authorized the launch, is still investigating what happened on the November 18 mission.
Starship was created as an interplanetary vehicle that allows humans to go back and forth to the moon, Mars and other planets. NASA approved the vision and selected Starship to land the first humans for its Artemis lunar exploration program.
Also Read: SpaceX’s Starship Explodes While Launching into Space
If everything goes according to plan, Starship will carry astronauts to the lunar surface on the Artemis 3 mission. NASA plans to launch the mission at the end of 2025 or 2026. However, delays could still occur considering that various Artemis mission instruments are not yet complete. Source: Space.com
2023-12-12 21:04:00
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