During its return journey to Earth, SpaceX’s Starship met its demise. Departing from Boca Chica, Texas, and traversing the Gulf of Mexico, the spacecraft completed a circumnavigation of the globe. However, communication was abruptly severed during the final stages of the test as it descended back into the atmosphere. It is presumed that the craft either disintegrated or burned up during re-entry.
Dan Huot from SpaceX confirmed the unfortunate outcome, stating, “The ship has been lost. So no splashdown today. But again, it’s incredible to see how much further we got this time around.” Elon Musk also acknowledged the setback on his social media platform, X, expressing, “SpaceX has come a long way.”
This marked SpaceX’s third test flight of its Starship Super Heavy rocket, representing a significant advancement in space exploration. The Starship, designed by SpaceX, is a fully reusable spacecraft intended for transporting humans and cargo to destinations such as the Moon, Mars, and beyond.
This latest test flight followed meticulous upgrades implemented by SpaceX following two previous unsuccessful launches. “Starship’s Raptor engine burn is complete and Starship has entered a coast phase,” SpaceX announced while providing an update on the rocket’s progress. Notably, the spacecraft was loaded with over 4,500 metric tonnes of propellant.
These enhancements, informed by valuable insights gleaned from previous attempts, have led to substantial improvements in both the spacecraft and its ground support systems.
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