SpaceX’s Starship rocket endured a fiery, hypersonic return from space and performed a ground-breaking landing.
Showing in the Indian Ocean on Thursday, finishing a full test duty around the world on its fourth attempt.
Indian Ocean just 65 minutes
The starship’s controlled descent into the Indian Ocean just 65 minutes after launch from Texas marked the latest milestone.
In Elon Musk’s space company’s multibillion-dollar test-to-failure rocket development campaign, which aims to build a reusable satellite launcher and moon lander.
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Starship Exploding
The previous three test missions ended with the Starship exploding or breaking down.
The two-stage, nearly 400-foot (120-meter) tall rocket system, which included the Starship vessel mounted atop its towering Super Heavy rocket booster.
Company’s Starbase Launch Site
Blasted off from the company’s Starbase launch site near Boca Chica Village in South Texas, sending powerful shockwaves rippling across the Gulf Coast’s morning fog.
Super Heavy separated from the Starship upper stage at an altitude of 74 kilometres (46 miles).
As the Starship ignited its own engines to ascend further into space.
Meanwhile, Super Heavy returned to the Gulf of Mexico and performed a soft the event.
Which took, demonstrating a touchdown that would normally occur on land.
SpaceX Live
In space, a SpaceX live stream showed Starship, outfitted with onboard cameras.
Coasting around 16,000 miles (25,750 km) per hour at approximately 200 km (125 miles) altitude.
As it made its way towards the Indian Ocean for a return to Earth, laying the groundwork for a key demonstration of its reusable design.
To read our blog on “SpaceX’s rocket lost during final phase of its test flight,” click here
