SpaceX’s Starship took a significant leap forward with today’s initial flight test of the fully integrated Starship and Super Heavy rocket, launched from Starbase in Texas.
Starship made history at 8:33 a.m. CT, as it lifted off from the orbital launch pad for the first time. The vehicle reached an unprecedented apogee of around 39 km above the Gulf of Mexico, setting a new record for any Starship flight.
Despite experiencing multiple engine shutdowns during the test, resulting in a loss of altitude and tumble, valuable lessons were learned. The flight termination system was activated on both the booster and the ship, confirmed SpaceX. This resulted in the Starship rocket exploding in mid-air.
In accordance with standard protocols, the pad and nearby areas were evacuated well before the test, and the adjacent road and beach are anticipated to remain closed until tomorrow, said SpaceX.
“With a test like this, success comes from what we learn, and we learned a tremendous amount about the vehicle and ground systems today that will help us improve on future flights of Starship,” said SpaceX on Thursday.
SpaceX extends its appreciation to customers, Cameron County, and the broader community for their unwavering support and enthusiasm. Kudos to the entire SpaceX team for achieving this milestone with Starship’s groundbreaking first flight test, which saw 1.7 million people watch it live on YouTube.
Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX, shared some photos of Starship today:
Starship Supersonic pic.twitter.com/twI9eqLFs1
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 20, 2023
Starship Liftoff pic.twitter.com/X4DBvFMMrr
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 20, 2023
