paceX’s Starship had a big launch from the Starbase in Boca Chica, Texas, at 9:25AM ET on Thursday. This time, things went better than before. The Starship did a bunch of planned moves and stayed intact until it lost contact just before it was supposed to splash down in the Indian Ocean.
Liftoff of Starship! pic.twitter.com/FaNcasuKaq
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) March 14, 2024
During the launch, it separated from its booster and opened a door to show how it could carry things like Starlink satellites. It was supposed to relight its engines in space but didn’t. The plan was for it to land in the Indian Ocean about an hour after takeoff.
But then, SpaceX lost contact with the Starship. They said they hadn’t heard from it and called off the splashdown. The broadcast ended about an hour after takeoff, showing the Starship’s view as it reentered the atmosphere.
This was SpaceX’s third try with the Starship. The first, last April, went up in flames. The second, in November, went better, but still had problems. The FAA gave the green light for this launch just the day before, after SpaceX made some changes to meet safety rules. They had to fix things like the design of the rocket and make sure it was safe from fires.
SpaceX Live Coverage
Watch Starship’s third flight test → https://t.co/bJFjLCiTbK https://t.co/1u46r769Vp
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) March 14, 2024