Celebrity spectator Musk's Starship mega rocket masters test flight - with a flaw
Elon Musk's "Starship" is soon to open up Mars to mankind. The next test launch of the giant rocket will be attended by another powerful spectator. But not everything is going perfectly.
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- The largest rocket ever built has completed another test flight with mixed results.
- The one-hour test of the so-called Starship, the sixth such test in total, was celebrated as progress by the private space company SpaceX.
- However, there was one small flaw: the lower rocket stage was unable to fly back to the launch site in the US state of Texas as hoped.
- Among the spectators at the event was US President-elect Donald Trump, who has been closely associated with SpaceX founder Elon Musk since the election campaign.
The largest rocket ever built has completed another test flight with mixed results. The one-hour test of the so-called Starship, the sixth such test in total, was celebrated as progress by the private space company SpaceX. However, there was one small flaw: the lower rocket stage was unable to fly back to the launch site in the US state of Texas as hoped. Instead, the booster, which company founder Elon Musk hopes will one day take people to Mars, landed gently in the bay of the Gulf of Mexico a few minutes after take-off.
During its trip, the "Starship" reached an altitude of almost 200 kilometers and speeds of over 25,000 kilometers per hour before making a controlled landing in the Indian Ocean. SpaceX emphasized that the spacecraft had been tested beyond the limits of its intended load capacity and had withstood the test.
In addition, one of the engines could be reignited in space, which is important for future regular missions. SpaceX also wanted to carry out a series of maneuvers and experiments with the spaceship's heat shield. Among the spectators at the event was US President-elect Donald Trump. SpaceX founder and tech billionaire Musk, who was also in attendance, has been a close confidant of Trump's since the US election campaign.
Setbacks and breakthroughs during previous launches
During the first test in April 2023, the entire missile system exploded after just a few minutes. During the second test in November 2023, the two rocket stages separated and the upper stage continued to fly, but both exploded shortly afterwards. During a third test in March, the "Starship" reached space for the first time, but was unable to complete the flight as hoped. During a fourth test flight in June, the "Starship" made its first controlled landing, which, however, did not go quite as hoped.
In October, the "Starship" reached space altitude and made a controlled landing in the Indian Ocean. This test also saw the first attempt to recover the lower rocket stage directly at the launch tower in Texas using grappling arms - which was also successful. SpaceX always emphasizes that the aim of the tests is to collect data. Failures are expected; the spacecraft's limits should be tested.
Aiming for the moon and Mars
The "Starship" consists of the approximately 70-metre-long "Super Heavy" booster and the upper stage, also called "Starship", which measures around 50 meters. Both the rocket and the spacecraft are designed so that they can be reused after returning to Earth.
The entire system has a length of around 120 meters, making it larger than the Statue of Liberty, and should be able to transport loads of over 100 tons in the future. The US space agency NASA wants to use the "Starship" to send astronauts to the moon, while SpaceX is pursuing the goal of one day reaching Mars.
SDA
