SpaceX Launches Massive Starship On Its Sixth Test Flight (space.com) 15
SpaceX's Starship rocket successfully completed its sixth launch today. Not only did it carry the first-ever payload but it also briefly re-lit one of its six Raptor engines about 38 minutes into flight, a crucial milestone for future space missions. Space Magazine reports: SpaceX landed Starship's huge first-stage booster, known as Super Heavy, back at the launch tower on the vehicle's most recent flight, which occurred on Oct. 13. The company aimed to repeat that feat -- which the tower achieved with its "chopstick" arms -- today, but the flight data didn't support an attempt. "We tripped a commit criteria," SpaceX's Dan Huot said during the company's Flight 6 webcast. So Super Heavy ended up coming down for a controlled splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico instead, hitting the waves seven minutes after liftoff.
Today's mission aimed to do far more than just bring Super Heavy back to Earth in one piece. SpaceX also wanted to put Starship's upper stage -- a 165-foot-tall (50 m) spacecraft called Starship, or simply "Ship" -- through its paces. The launch sent Ship on the same semi-orbital trajectory that it took on Flight 5, targeting a splashdown in the Indian Ocean off the northwestern coast of Australia about 65 minutes after liftoff. But Ship also achieved some new milestones along the way this time. For example, Flight 6 carried the first-ever Starship payload -- a plush banana onboard Ship, which served as a zero-gravity indicator. (It was not deployed into space.) In addition, Ship briefly re-lit one of its six Raptor engines about 38 minutes into the flight. (Super Heavy also employs Raptors -- a whopping 33 of them.)
This burn helped show that Ship can perform the maneuvers needed to come back to Earth safely during orbital missions. Indeed, Ship is designed to be fully and rapidly reusable, just like Super Heavy; SpaceX eventually intends to catch it with the chopstick arms as well, and will likely try to do so on a test flight in the near future. Flight 6 also tested modifications to Ship's heat shield, which protects the vehicle during reentry to Earth's atmosphere.
Today's mission aimed to do far more than just bring Super Heavy back to Earth in one piece. SpaceX also wanted to put Starship's upper stage -- a 165-foot-tall (50 m) spacecraft called Starship, or simply "Ship" -- through its paces. The launch sent Ship on the same semi-orbital trajectory that it took on Flight 5, targeting a splashdown in the Indian Ocean off the northwestern coast of Australia about 65 minutes after liftoff. But Ship also achieved some new milestones along the way this time. For example, Flight 6 carried the first-ever Starship payload -- a plush banana onboard Ship, which served as a zero-gravity indicator. (It was not deployed into space.) In addition, Ship briefly re-lit one of its six Raptor engines about 38 minutes into the flight. (Super Heavy also employs Raptors -- a whopping 33 of them.)
This burn helped show that Ship can perform the maneuvers needed to come back to Earth safely during orbital missions. Indeed, Ship is designed to be fully and rapidly reusable, just like Super Heavy; SpaceX eventually intends to catch it with the chopstick arms as well, and will likely try to do so on a test flight in the near future. Flight 6 also tested modifications to Ship's heat shield, which protects the vehicle during reentry to Earth's atmosphere.
While they didn't try tower catch (Score:5, Informative)
Tower appears to have some damage the precludes the attempt, the rest of the test regime seem to have gone well. They executed the in orbit relite of raptor engine in low gravity environment, successfully executed the reentry with a significant amount of reduction of heat shielding tiles and we got some very useful data. Unfortunately the lone cargo (1 banana) was lost along with the ship.
Re:While they didn't try tower catch (Score:5, Insightful)
I'm certainly no fan of Elon Musk's politics. However, I must admit I'm impressed with the successes he has achieved with SpaceX. Starship re-entry protection still needs work from what I can see, but the company as a whole is way ahead of any other launch-service company on the planet.
Even Tesla has done well, although when it comes to Cybertruck ... well, barf.
Now, if you want to look at failures, look no further than the dumpster-fire he made of Twit- uh, I mean X.
Re: (Score:2)
SpaceX and Tesla are enjoying their successes because they put in all the hard work keeping Musk away from any of the decision-making pointy ends.
Re: (Score:1)
It's always a thrill to come here and see the usual leftist perverts, parasites and spiteful mutants explode in Righteous Moral Outrage at one of the few people who may leave the world in a better place than he found it.
Sad!
Re: While they didn't try tower catch (Score:3)
Re: (Score:1)
Sounds like spacex does well without leo.
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he never invented anything
he is just spending government money
he enables fascists on twitter
he promised we would be driving self-driving cars on Mars by now, just to get money from investors
he killed my dad
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An engine relight in space is definitely not a failure...
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Tower appears to have some damage the precludes the attempt
I was curious as to why they did not attempt the catch. Thank You for the info :)
Cue banana jokes in 3..2..1.. (Score:1)
"Is that a banana in your Ship or are you just happy to see me?"
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And specifically for Starship using a banana for scale comparison fails miserably https://timesofindia.indiatime... [indiatimes.com]