SpaceX lost communication with its Starship rocket minutes after entering space, for the first time, during its second launch attempt. As per reports, the mission is presumed to have failed. “We have lost the data from the second stage… we think we may have lost the second stage,” SpaceX’s livestream host John Insprucker reportedly said.
The booster, which was supposed to have water landing exploded. SpaceX said the booster saw a “rapid unscheduled disassembly shortly after stage separation.”
SpaceX founder Elon Musk made another attempt to launch the groundbreaking rocket, Starship, after the April setback. The rocket’s initial flight in April garnered attention for all the wrong reasons, as it lost control and exploded just four minutes after takeoff in Texas.
Engineers at Musk’s SpaceX implemented modifications to enhance Starship’s reliability. The much-anticipated lift-off took place from Boca Chica, a coastal town, within a 20-minute window starting at 13:00 GMT.
The mission objective is consistent with the previous failed attempt made by Starship in April this year. Should the launch go according to the plan, the spacecraft is poised to complete nearly a full revolution around the Earth.
The purpose of the mission is to send the top part of the two-stage vehicle, known as the Ship, around the Earth.
Starship, a cutting-edge two-stage super heavy-lift launch vehicle, and spacecraft, stands as the tallest and most powerful. The primary goal behind Starship’s design is full reusability, with both stages intended to be recovered and reused.
The uncrewed craft is expected to make an ocean splashdown near Kauai, one of the Hawaiian islands.
Success with Starship could mark a revolutionary breakthrough, media reports said adding that this achievement would align with Musk’s ambitious goal of establishing a human settlement on Mars by facilitating more efficient transport of people and supplies.
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Musk’s vision is a fully reusable rocket capable of placing over a hundred tonnes into orbit in a single launch, dramatically reducing the cost of space activities. As per a post by SpaceX on the X social media platform, Starship was fully loaded with more than 4500 metric tonnes (10 million pounds) of propellant.
(With inputs from agencies)
