The SpaceX Starship Attempts Third Launch After Exploding Twice
It’s a bird, it’s a plane, no it’s a SpaceX rocket! The Starship, which is the largest and most powerful rocket ever built is trying to fly again. Millions of viewers have tuned in to see if the SpaceX Starship has a successful flight after exploding twice.
The SpaceX Starship launches for a third time
Texas is rumbling around Brownsville at the Boca Chica launchpad as the Starship launches for a third time. The spacecraft still isn’t carrying any crew members, which feels like a smart decision after the Starship previously exploded twice.
Millions are watching to see if the Starship can complete an hour-long voyage. If successful, it will land in the Indian Ocean, where it can be recovered and used for future tests.
About three minutes into the flight after most of the fuel has been used, the heavy booster will break away over the Gulf of Mexico. It will have a controlled landing as the rocket uses its engines to propel at breakneck speeds.
The rocket won’t enter the orbit during this journey, but the test is to get it at orbital speeds at velocities fast enough to enter a stable orbit around Earth.
SpaceX hopes to carry out more complex flight tests and eventually use the rocket to carry astronauts to the moon.
The launch was pushed back several times this morning due to delays. For example, a few boats had to be cleared away from keep-out zones for safety reasons.
The Starship seems to be having a successful launch at this current moment of writing. It lifted off from the launch pad and has been flying without any trouble for roughly 30 minutes. But the signal is currently spotty.
This mission is crucial for making progress toward the rocket’s original intention of carrying astronauts to Mars one day.
Also, NASA plans to use it to ferry its astronauts to the lunar surface of the Artemis III mission that’s currently scheduled for September 2026.
Tons of research will be gathered from this flight, even if the entire trip isn’t successful. Future space travel has a lot to gain from this experiment. Tune in live here.
