The SpaceX Starship mega rocket launches from SpaceX’s Starbase in Boca Chica, Texas, Thursday, June 6, 2024.
Screenshot by NPR/SpaceX
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Screenshot by NPR/SpaceX
The commercial company SpaceX successfully conducted the fourth largest rocket launch ever made on Thursday morning.
The mammoth “Starship” lifted off shortly before 8 a.m. CT from Boca Chica, Texas. One of the 33 engines in the “super heavy” booster failed a few seconds after liftoff, but the rocket still roared from the pad and made a smooth rise to space.
After the booster separated from the Starship, it turned around and used its engines to land slowly in the Gulf of Mexico. The soft landing marks a major milestone for SpaceX, which hopes to quickly reuse the Starship and booster on future missions.
The Starship spent about an hour exploring the edge of space, all the while broadcasting its views via SpaceX’s Starlink satellite network. As it begins re-entry, the camera shows a bright purple plasma surrounding one of the flaps used to control the Starship’s orientation.
The flap appears to have partially disappeared in the intense heat from the upper atmosphere. Debris damaged the spacecraft’s monitoring cameras, and the lens eventually appeared cracked.
However, the mammoth craft appeared to remain under control as it descended through the atmosphere. It battered the gear flaps and put it in a vertical position. Cheers erupted from SpaceX’s headquarters in Hawthorne, California as the ship appeared to descend into the ocean as expected.
“From South Texas to the other side of the earth: The Starship is in the water,” said SpaceX communications manager Dan Huot.
Here’s what else you need to know about this latest test flight.
Starship is the largest rocket ever built
At nearly 400 feet tall when stacked atop the “Super Heavy” boosters, the Starship is larger than the Saturn V rocket that carried the Apollo astronauts to the moon. The spaceship is also unique in that it uses stainless steel instead of light metals like aluminum and titanium.
SpaceX founder Elon Musk wants Starship to one day take astronauts to Mars. NASA has also given the company billions to develop a lunar lander, as part of the Artemis program to return astronauts to the moon. Finally, Starship is expected to play a key role in the expansion of SpaceX’s Starlink satellite network, by allowing the company to launch many internet-capable satellites simultaneously.
To achieve that lofty goal, the Starship must prove that it can operate as intended. The stainless steel body is supposed to be rugged and reusable quickly, and that’s key to many missions. The rocket’s Raptor engine must also be able to fire and re-ignite at various points on the plane.
Outside observers said the fact that the spacecraft and booster appeared to be returning to Earth was another milestone. The latest test flight puts the Starship program “over the hump” to payloads that actually fly to orbit the Earth, said Jonathan McDowell, a researcher at the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory who tracks space flights.
“It exceeded my expectations, it was amazing,” said Laura Forczyk, executive director of Astralytical, a space consulting firm.
SpaceX has made significant progress with three previous tests
Starship’s first test launch in April 2023 ended with all the rockets exploding in the Gulf of Mexico. The second flight test ended after the spacecraft caused the system to self-destruct before reaching orbit.
But with three tests, the Starship behaved like a real spaceship. Successfully reach the desired orbit, and travel around the world.
There are still many problems. The cargo door does not appear to open properly. And the Starship collapsed as it began to re-enter Earth’s atmosphere. SpaceX believes a stuck valve is preventing the roll control thrusters from working properly. The superheated gases around the vehicle eventually caused damage somewhere in the Indian Ocean.
Meanwhile pushing super-heavy also has problems. The engine failed to re-light as it re-entered the atmosphere and returned to earth. It broke over the Gulf of Mexico.
With this launch, the company has gone further than ever
SpaceX is making some modifications to the Starship in preparation for its fourth launch. Engineers added an extra roll control thruster to keep it from collapsing. They also made modifications to help the super-heavy boosters more reliably power their engines.
All but one of the Starship’s 33 first-stage Raptor engines fired as expected, as the giant spacecraft lifted off from its pad in Boca Chica, Tex.
Brandon Bell/Getty Images/Getty Images North America
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Brandon Bell/Getty Images/Getty Images North America
The company also took care to ensure that the heat shield remains in tact, minus some boxes that were deliberately removed to test how the structure will react to heat.
There were obvious problems with the test, such as engine failure, and the partial disintegration of at least one Starship fin.
However, experts agree that this fourth flight is an important milestone for the program. SpaceX is collecting important data that will allow the development of the system.
“It’s not perfect,” Forczyk said. “But I don’t think anyone believes it’s going to be perfect.”
McDowell said Starship is still several test flights away from actually carrying cargo into orbit. Still said, “he has succeeded in showing some of the most difficult bits.”
“I think I really enjoyed this flight,” he said.
As the company’s webcast drew to a close, SpaceX engineers Kate Tice and Jessica Anderson celebrated the landing by burning marshmallows—a nod to the heat of reentry.
“Like Starship, I love this toast,” Tice joked as he held the flaming treat. Then he promised: “We have more test flights coming up!”
