Elon Musk is celebrating the success of the third test flight of Starship, which he claims will one day take humans to Mars. Although the No. 28 ship and the Super Heavy booster rocket suffered unprecedented “losses” during the so-called splashdown process, this milestone still has great inspiration for SpaceX’s recent development.
One of the new features SpaceX is adding to this Starship flight is the Starlink satellite internet connection, which provides live broadcasts during the mission.
Elon Musk: Highlights from Starship’s third flight to Mars
(Photo: Elon Musk)
The company considers Starship’s third test flight a success, and Elon Musk is already touting the spacecraft’s future ventures for possible yet-to-be-deployed missions to Mars. In his opinion, executive says “Starship will take humans to Mars,” but he did not provide a timeline or exact timing for any possible partners in the project, including NASA.
Having said that, in this Starship launch, all 33 Raptor engines on the Super Heavy booster were fired, which is said to be the second time since last year. Furthermore, this is a full burn that lasts in the first stage.
In addition, it successfully completed hot stage separation, shutting down all but three of 30 of its engines. The Super Heavy also completed a flip before landing in the Gulf of Mexico.
Next, all six Raptor engines of the main ship were ignited to help it enter orbit. It is important to note that the Super Heavy Duty experienced a RUD (Rapid Unexpected Disassembly, aka lost or damaged) when dropped.
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Live broadcast on Starlink Internet starship
Throughout the process, SpaceX’s Starships are equipped with Starlink terminals that provide real-time information to the world from inside the spacecraft, Boasts its high-speed internet On a spacecraft traveling at 27,000 kilometers per hour (approximately 16,777 miles per hour).
Reliable high-speed, low-latency internet across the globe, even when traveling through plasma fields at 27,000 km/h 🛰️🚀 https://t.co/FPELfpWq6M
At the 49th minute of the mission, the Starlink signal was cut off, marking the end of the third test flight and the disappearance of Spacecraft 28. The next launch may once again carry a Starlink terminal to provide real-time signals to the starship.
SpaceX’s Starship and its test flights
In SpaceX’s latest experimental test, the company immediately launched a mission for Starship the day after the FAA gave the launch signal. This marked the third test flight of the large Starship assembly consisting of the main rocket ship and Super Heavy booster, both of which set a milestone for today’s adventure.
However, despite the achievement of reaching space, it was not an unqualified success, as the Starship mission was disassembled before its return from splashdown in the Indian Ocean.
The FAA just completed its investigation into Starship’s second test flight earlier this year, requiring SpaceX to take various corrective measures before it can be licensed.
This latest test flight marks Starship’s first launch of the year, but the company is aiming for a larger number of launches as it plans to conduct as many as nine test flights of the spacecraft in 2024 alone.
The milestone for the third Starship mission is impressive, with the company showing off its latest progress to the world, and Elon Musk already promoting a mission to Mars with the yet-to-land spacecraft.
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