No mission space mission has been perfect so far for Starship, as happened for previous test flights one and two, and this was no exception, but... the most important goal was to put the space into orbit: they made it!
Huge congratulations to everyone inside the Starship team at SpaceX as well as to all the people who made possible for us to watch the whole event live, with a record also on this side. During re-entry the impressive orbital velocity (around 27,000 kilometers per hour) has to be dumped thanks to atmospheric drag which generates a huge amount of friction between the spacecraft surfaces and the thin air around it. Already at 80 kilometers of altitude a reddish glow could be seen around Starship! When this becomes thicker the dissociated electrons inside plasma strongly interfere with communications, making impossible to see and hear what's happening there.
It's been so from the very beginning of orbital flights and it is this way today. However, it seemed that this time, thanks to the impressive dimensions of the spacecraft we were able to stay 'live' for a little longer than usual, and maybe in the future this will be even longer...
But now to the most interesting part...
Starship into orbit
In a momentous third test flight from South Texas, SpaceX's Starship megarocket, heralded as the world's largest and most potent rocket, surged to orbital velocity for the very first time on March 14th 2024.
Amidst a gathering of Spring Break onlookers, dedicated rocket enthusiasts, and avid SpaceX supporters congregated along the southern shores of South Padre Island and its environs, the colossal Starship vehicle embarked on its historic journey from the company's facilities near Boca Chica Beach. Departing approximately 5 miles (8 kilometers) south of the excited crowd, the launch occurred precisely at 9:25 a.m. EDT (1325 GMT).
Following liftoff, Elon Musk, the visionary behind SpaceX, announced on X (formerly Twitter) that "Starship reached orbital velocity," extending his congratulations to the SpaceX team. Interestingly, this launch coincided with the 22nd anniversary of SpaceX's inception in 2002, marking an auspicious milestone for the company.
Post flight analysis
Despite encountering unexpected challenges such as the failure to ignite all engines as anticipated and the loss of the booster, SpaceX's team remains undeterred. Post-flight analysis will be crucial in determining the exact sequence of events.
Starship, the idea
Starship is engineered with full reusability in mind, mirroring SpaceX's successful approach with its Falcon 9 rockets. Looking ahead, the company plans to implement innovative methods for landing and relaunching its Super Heavy boosters, including the utilization of "chopstick" arms on Starship's launch tower for booster retrieval.
While the IFT-3 mission anticipated a splashdown in the Gulf, the vision of reusable space travel remains intact.
During today's mission, Booster 10, after a flawless 33-engine burn and separation, attempted entry and landing but faced difficulties reigniting its engines, resulting in a harsh landing in the Gulf of Mexico.
Simultaneously, Ship 28 executed a notable six-engine burn, achieving orbital velocity at an altitude of 230km and speeds exceeding 26,000 km/h. Notable achievements included the operation of payload bay doors (to be confirmed if the test was 100% successful or failed to complete door closing), an on-orbit transfer demonstration between the header tank and main tank, and the initiation of reentry maneuvers. Unfortunately, Ship 28 was lost during reentry over the Indian Ocean.
What can we expect?
This launch marks SpaceX's third endeavor with Starship, following earlier tests that showcased the rocket's evolving capabilities. With the broader objective of facilitating human exploration of the moon and ultimately Mars, each milestone represents a significant stride towards realizing humanity's extraterrestrial ambitions.
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