SpaceX launched its
ninth Starship flight test
On Tuesday night, they successfully achieved milestones like using a reused rocket stage, though they didn’t meet all the objectives of the test.
The Super Heavy rocket along with the Starship spacecraft, referred to collectively as Starship, took off from South Texas shortly after 6:30 p.m.
RECAP:
SpaceX conducted its ninth Starship test flight from South Texas. Below are highlights and lowlights of every trial.
The launch and stage separation occurred as planned. SpaceX did not intend to retrieve the booster, which had completed six previous missions before this one, but aimed to gather data during a more challenging splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico after Super Heavy detonated upon impact.
The Starship successfully finished its climb and traveled much further compared to the previous two attempts that ended in explosions during their ascents. However, SpaceX lost control over its orientation. Similar to those earlier tests, this craft ultimately crashed into the Indian Ocean after exploding upon descent.
“Starship reached the planned engine cutoff point, marking significant progress compared to its previous launch,” SpaceX founder Elon Musk stated on X.
“In addition, there was no notable damage to the heat shield tiles during the ascent.Leaks led to a loss of main tank pressure throughout the coast and re-entry phases. There’s plenty of valuable data to analyze,” Musk noted.
He committed that the subsequent three missions would see improved turnaround times, scheduled at intervals of every three to four weeks. The firm has recently secured the necessary regulatory clearance for launching.
as many as 25 times annually
from Starbase, Texas.
Musk was expected to provide an update about the company following the Starship flight test; however, as of 8:30 p.m., it remained uncertain whether he would still address everyone.
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