SpaceX’s Starship rocket and Super Heavy booster lift off from the launch pad in Boca Chica, Texas, on Thursday. [Courtesy: SpaceX]
Key Takeaways:
SpaceX's Starship completed its third orbital test flight, achieving significant milestones like reaching space and demonstrating key capabilities, but was lost during atmospheric reentry, leading to a third FAA mishap investigation.
Despite the loss of the vehicle, the flight marked substantial progress over previous attempts by traveling halfway around the Earth, reaching orbital speeds, opening its payload door, and conducting a liquid oxygen transfer.
Starship is grounded until the FAA concludes its investigation and approves corrective actions, with the ongoing development challenges potentially impacting its role as the Human Landing System for NASA's Artemis III moon mission.
In what feels increasingly like a bout of déjà vu, SpaceX’s Starship—the largest and most powerful rocket ever flown—has been grounded again.
The FAA on Thursday initiated its third mishap investigation into Starship after the 400-foot-tall spacecraft and booster were lost during its third orbital test flight. Both components are intended to be reusable.
CREATE A FREE ACCOUNT
Sign up to keep reading
Create a free account to continue. Already a member? Sign in below.
Jack is a staff writer covering advanced air mobility, including everything from drones to unmanned aircraft systems to space travel—and a whole lot more. He spent close to two years reporting on drone delivery for FreightWaves, covering the biggest news and developments in the space and connecting with industry executives and experts. Jack is also a basketball aficionado, a frequent traveler and a lover of all things logistics.
