SpaceX today had another flight test for its Starship, with the prototype SN9 taking off for a high-altitude suborbital flight test.
The ascent and descent went smoothly, but the landing failed and ended in yet another fireball, as the landing flip maneuver didn’t go as planned. Today’s landing was not as good as SN8, however, and SpaceX will gain valuable data from this test and try to improve for next time.
“A controlled aerodynamic descent with body flaps and vertical landing capability, combined with in-space refilling, are critical to landing Starship at destinations across the solar system where prepared surfaces or runways do not exist, and returning to Earth,” says SpaceX.
“This capability will enable a fully reusable transportation system designed to carry both crew and cargo on long-duration, interplanetary flights and help humanity return to the Moon, and travel to Mars and beyond.”
You can watch the replay below from Cameron County, Texas:
