But was destroyed upon re-entry, which was later confirmed by SpaceX
The SpaceX spacecraft was destroyed during its return to Earth after completing its third test flight, which was confirmed by the developers.
The
120-meter system, which weighs about 5,000 tons when fully fueled, took off from SpaceX's Starbase facility in the Gulf of Mexico in Boca Chica, Texas, we reported yesterday. The spacecraft circled the globe for the first time, but contact was lost in the final stages of the test as Starship reentered the atmosphere. The developers confirmed that it either burned out or simply fell apart upon re-entry.
«The ship is lost. Therefore, there will be no splashdown today, — said SpaceX's Dan Huot. — But it's incredible to see how far we've come this time».
Elon Musk, the billionaire founder of SpaceX, said on his social network X: «SpaceX has come a long way».
Two previous attempts ended in explosions for both the 33-engine Super Heavy booster and Starship, which is ultimately designed to carry up to 100 astronauts. Stacked together, they are 10 meters taller than the Saturn V rocket that sent men to the Moon in 1969.
The first attempt to launch the spaceship lasted four minutes, the second — eight. The third flight lasted more than 50 minutes.
During the third flight, several tests were carried out, including opening the payload hatch and internally transferring fuel in space.