SPACEX'S STARSHIP DISAPPEARS AFTER THE THIRD LAUNCH, LEAVING ITS FATE UNCERTAIN - VORAKA

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN VORAKA

Article Published on 07 March 2024 by Samar | www.vorakamag.com

Elon Musk's company, SpaceX, sent its enormous Starship rocket for its third test flight on Thursday. The launch, from Boca Chica's Starbase facility, marked a significant milestone as the rocket didn't explode this time, unlike its previous attempts. However, the spacecraft was lost during reentry into Earth's atmosphere.

The Starship, which is hailed as the largest and most powerful rocket ever built, took off at 6:55 PM IST. Although it successfully reached orbit, SpaceX reported a loss of communication with the spacecraft during its reentry phase. Instead of landing in the Indian Ocean as planned, it likely disintegrated due to the intense heat and pressure of reentering the atmosphere.

Despite the setback, the mission showcased considerable progress for the Starship and its launch system, which Elon Musk believes will play a vital role in future space exploration, including missions to the Moon and potentially Mars. SpaceX follows a philosophy of learning from failures and adapting quickly, which means setbacks like the two previous explosions didn't deter their efforts.

The partial success of this launch brings Starship closer to fulfilling its potential for actual space missions, with capabilities to transport payloads of up to 150 metric tonnes in reusable mode and 250 metric tonnes in expendable mode.

The development of Starship has significant implications for human space exploration, particularly for NASA's Artemis 3 mission, which aims to land astronauts on the Moon. SpaceX's Starship is intended to serve as the commercial human lander for this mission, working alongside NASA's Orion spacecraft and Space Launch System (SLS).

Although there have been delays in Starship's flight readiness, the recent progress indicates it's getting closer to being mission-ready, potentially impacting the timeline for Artemis 3. After reaching lunar orbit, astronauts are expected to transfer to a variant of Starship for the journey to the Moon's surface and back.

Despite the loss of the spacecraft during this test flight, the advancements achieved mark a significant step forward for SpaceX and its ambitions in space exploration.