Aerospace company SpaceX is a little closer to its goal of interplanetary space travel – but it still has a lot of work ahead of it.
See also: Starship's first attempt at orbit launch. Will it happen?
On November 18, the Starship spacecraft successfully launched from Boca Chica, Texas, traveling further than any previous test flight. This was the first time it had successfully entered space. However, Starship's self-destruct mechanism was activated for a still unknown reason, and the spacecraft exploded over the Gulf of Mexico about eight minutes after launch.
Minutes earlier, the booster that carried Starship on the first leg of the journey exploded after separating from the craft. The Federal Aviation Administration is overseeing an investigation into the explosions and will have to approve any future testing.
See also: SpaceX: Starship spacecraft exploded during test landing
NASA 's goal of sending astronauts to the Moon by the end of this decade requires proving the agency's value of Starship. But it could take at least 15 Starships to achieve that lunar landing . There have been no successful flights so far.
In its latest attempt, Starship performed better than it did in its first major test flight in April, which also ended in an explosion. This time, the rocket’s launcher successfully fired all 33 engines, some of which had failed in April. And, unlike the previous attempt, it did not cause serious damage to the launch pad and its surroundings. Perhaps most importantly, the launcher and Starship passed the point where they separate. In this rare example of a “live stage” procedure, the ship’s engines were intentionally fired earlier than usual as Starship separated from the launcher.
See also: SpaceX Starship: Exploded during first orbital test flight
During this test flight, Starship reached an altitude of nearly 150 kilometers, putting it into space before exploding. The goal was to fly almost around the planet and land near Hawaii.
Source: nature
