SpaceX Achieves Milestone as Starship Completes Successful Test Flight

7th June 2024- In a groundbreaking moment for space exploration, SpaceX marked a significant milestone with the completion of its test flight of the Starship rocket on Thursday. The ambitious endeavour, spearheaded by Elon Musk’s company, unfolded at the Starbase facility near Boca Chica, Texas.

Launching at approximately 8:50 a.m. ET, the 395-foot-tall fully reusable launch vehicle, comprising the Super Heavy booster stage and Starship upper stage, soared into the sky. A pivotal moment came when, a few minutes after liftoff, the rocket’s booster executed a flawless splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico—marking SpaceX successfully returning the booster in one piece.

Following the separation of the booster and upper stage around 2.5 minutes into the flight, the booster underwent a controlled offshore splashdown, while the Starship spacecraft commenced its re-entry into Earth’s atmosphere. Equipped with 18,000 hexagonal ceramic tiles as heat shields, the spacecraft navigated through the intense heat of re-entry, maintaining stability as it hurtled through space at speeds exceeding 26,000 kilometres per hour.

Despite the fiery descent, the Starship spacecraft’s three engines re-ignited during the landing burn, facilitating a gentle splashdown in the Indian Ocean. This successful test flight demonstrates significant progress towards SpaceX’s goal of achieving routine launch and landing capabilities with the Starship, heralding a new era in space travel.