Three more outer engines shut down over the next minute and 20 seconds or so. The SpaceX Starship rocket lifts off from the launchpad during a flight test from Starbase in Boca Chica, Texas, on April 20, 2023.īut on-screen graphics in the SpaceX webcast showed three of the 33 Raptor engines had either shut down moments after liftoff or never ignited in the first place - two in an outer ring of 20 fixed Raptors and one of the 13 central steerable engines. With its engines gulping some 40,000 pounds of propellant per second, the rocket initially climbed straight up and then gracefully tilted over onto an easterly trajectory toward the Florida Straits.
The engines quickly throttled up to 16 million pounds of thrust - twice the power of the current record holder, NASA's SLS moon rocket - and the gargantuan rocket majestically climbed away from SpaceX's "Starbase" launch facility.
EDT, two minutes later than planned because of minor technical snags. Thrilling thousands of area residents, tourists and journalists looking on from nearby South Padre Island, the 33 methane-fueled Raptor engines powering the Super Heavy first stage roared to life at 9:30 a.m. So you never know exactly what's going to happen, but as we promised, excitement is guaranteed! Starship gave us a rather spectacular end to what was truly an incredible test." "Now this was a development test, this was the first test flight of Starship, and the goal is to gather the data and as we said, clear the pad and get ready to go again. The SpaceX Starship rocket explodes after launch for a flight test from Starbase in Boca Chica, Texas, on April 20, 2023. "Starship just experienced what we call a rapid unscheduled disassembly, or a RUD, during ascent," said SpaceX engineer John Insprucker, serving as a launch commentator on the company's webcast. SpaceX's huge Starship rocket, the most powerful ever built, blasted off on an unpiloted maiden flight Thursday and successfully flew for more than two minutes before tumbling out of control and exploding in a cloud of flaming debris. For now, the Falcon 9 is SpaceX's golden goose for its space missions, whether it be launching the Starlink satellites or via its commercial launch missions.SpaceX's Starship, most powerful rocket ever built, tumbles and explodes minutes after liftoff 02:42 While SpaceX's Starship is not yet ready for its legitimate missions, it will succeed Falcon 9 with its rapid reusability capabilities soon, and the public would have to wait for its tests to be successful. SpaceX's feat is not a new thing, especially as back in 2022, the company has already reused the Falcon 9 as much as 14 times in succession. It marks a new era for SpaceX, especially as its CEO Elon Musk announced future missions that are set to leave its legacy to the space advancements coming. This is because it was among the first to bring a reusable rocket that not only lasted for 2 to 3 missions but had successful missions, where the spacecraft broke its record of reaching 16 launches and landings. The Reusable Rocket of SpaceXįalcon 9 is undoubtedly one of the most iconic rockets not only of this generation but of all time. There are many applications for Falcon 9's use in the industry, including commercial missions from partner companies, or bringing batches of Starlink's satellites to orbit. While it is yet unknown what missions Falcon 9 would carry soon, the goal is to double its intended reusability goal for the rocket which was initially set for ten flights. Read Also: NASA Partners With SpaceX, Blue Origin, and 5 Other US Companies to Advance Space Capabilities SpaceX Falcon 9 and its Future Missions With this, SpaceX has a new goal for the Falcon 9's future, and it is doubling its number of launches and landings, soon attempting to reuse the rocket as much as 20 times. The Falcon 9 completed its 16th launch and land mission, where the first-stage rocket landed on the Just Read the Instructions drone ship that was awaiting its arrival on open waters. For years now, the Falcon 9 has fulfilled many launches to orbit, whether it be bringing astronauts to the space station or delivering cargo, and even performing spacewalk missions.
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