SpaceX’s 15th Starship test flight put the ship into orbit and released 26 third-generation Starlink satellites, but the planned tower catch of the Super Heavy booster was aborted.

The rocket lifted off from Starbase in South Texas at 22:47 GMT on November 13, with its 33 Raptor 3 engines producing more than 18 million pounds of thrust.

Stage separation came about two and a half minutes into the flight. The booster’s onboard system then cancelled the catch automatically because the vehicle was not where it needed to be, according to SpaceX spokesperson Dan Huot. It diverted to an offshore area in the Gulf of Mexico, where it ended in a fireball about 6.5 minutes after launch. SpaceX is still investigating the root cause. A successful catch would have been the first recovery of a V3 Super Heavy.

The ship reached an orbit of roughly 275 km, only the second time Starship has made it to orbit after Flight 14 on September 28. Over about 42 minutes it deployed 26 Starlink V3 satellites.

SpaceX planned to keep the ship in space for more than 21 hours and 14 orbits, then bring it back for a tower catch at Starbase at about 21:17 GMT on November 14, provided the systems critical for reentry and landing check out. The company said the heat shield was in good shape for the return.

Why it matters

Fully reusing both stages is the key to cutting launch costs dramatically, and launching the larger Starlink V3 satellites on Starship should speed up the growth of a satellite internet network already used in several Arab countries. Catching the ship would be a major milestone, while the lost booster is a reminder that the system is still in testing.

Source: Space.com

By the TechMojaz team