Once again the Starship lifted off to great cheers – and once again it was a failure. Eight minutes after launch, contact with the giant rocket was lost, and Space X states that the craft is lost.
Starship is owned by Elon Musk’s space company Space X and is described as the world’s most powerful rocket.
The launch of the 121-meter-high Starship took place from Boca Chica in southern Texas, shortly after 2 p.m. Swedish time.
In the beginning, everything went according to plan, but the powerful launch vehicle exploded when it was about to separate from the Starship rocket itself.
However, Starship was able to continue, but eight minutes after launch word came that contact with the rocket had been lost. Later, Space X confirmed that the Starship had failed.
Second explosion
The test launch was the unmanned Starship’s second and the rocket was intended to travel one and a half revolutions around the Earth. A first version of the craft was launched in April but exploded over the Gulf of Mexico.
This test is still considered more successful than the previous one because the rocket traveled much further than the test in April, reports CNN.
That time, the Starship failed already about four minutes after liftoff, and also never even managed to separate from the launch vehicle, which is one of the most difficult moments.
Space X claims success
Before Saturday’s attempt, Space X had stated that it would consider the launch a success if this was achieved.
“With a test like this, success comes from what we learn, and today’s test will help us improve Starship reliability as Space X tries to make life multiplanetary,” writes Space X on X.
The space agency states that the rocket has been destroyed to prevent it from falling out of orbit.
The space agency Nasa has stated that it wants to use Starship for future trips to the moon – and further into the future for trips to Mars.
Nasa top Bill Nelson signs X that he would like to congratulate everyone involved in the launch and that “today’s test is an opportunity to learn – and then fly again”.