Many reports following SpaceX’s ninth flight test for Starship on Tuesday emphasized disaster: The company’s massive rocket and uncrewed spacecraft exploded — again.
But each demonstration has had specific objectives, and though Starship didn’t come close to acing them all this time, one in particular was a breakthrough toward making the rocket and ship reusable. That’s a crucial goal for SpaceX, which hopes to use the ship to send people to the moon and Mars in a financially sustainable way.
The launch, which lifted off from SpaceX’s private space port in south Texas on May 27, saw the first re-flown booster in action. The test was broadcast on SpaceX founder Elon Musk‘s social platform, X. During the livestream, cheers erupted at Starbase when the spacecraft’s engines ignited and the Super Heavy booster — also used in a January test — separated from it and fell back toward Earth.
“Six healthy Raptors running on Ship, on its way to space,” a commentator said excitedly, referring to its powerful engines. “Peek that engine view.”
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