SpaceX's Starship rocket successfully completes first liftoff before exploding in midair

2023-04-22 09:00:00

SpaceX’s Starship rocket successfully completed its first liftoff, but it exploded in flight soon after.

SpaceX was finally able complete the first full test flight of its Starship rocket after postponements of several months and a failed attempt at the beginning of the week, but unfortunately everything did not go as planned. The Starship and Super Heavy booster combination lifted off from SpaceX’s Boca Chica Center in Texas after a brief wait, but failed to separate and began to tumble before exploding.

SpaceX’s Starship rocket successfully completes first liftoff

CEO Elon Musk had already told the most enthusiastic not to expect too much from this test flight. This Starship takeoff was to be used to collect data for future launches. As SpaceX explained during the livestream of the event, the main goal was just to get it off the ground – everything else was pure bonus. The company also had to abort its first attempt because of a pressure valve that had frozen.

SpaceX has yet to release a date for its next launch attempt, but since the company is able to manufacture more than one Starship rocket at a time, the wait might not be too long.

But this one exploded in flight shortly after

Together, Starship and Super Heavy are 120 meters tall, taller than the Saturn V rocket. The 39 Raptor engines in total (33 in the booster and 6 in Starship) are powerful enough for approximately up to 150 tons in low Earth orbit when totally reusable and 250 tonnes otherwise. To put things into context, the Falcon Heavy can only send 64 tons into this orbit. This new rocket will allow hitherto impossible missions, including trips to the Moon and Mars which require a lot of fuel and equipment.

The success of the next test is vital given the timing for both SpaceX and NASA projects. SpaceX relies on Starship for lunar tourism and other commercial flights. Moon landings as part of NASA’s Artemis program, which are currently scheduled for December 2025, depend on the rocket’s ability to reach the surface and the return of astronauts with the Orion capsule. The sooner SpaceX proves Starship viable, the better the chances of meeting the deadlines.