SpaceX makes 1st successful flight of Starship, the world’s largest rocket

SpaceX carried out this Thursday (June 6, 2024) the 1st successful flight of Starship, the largest spacecraft ever built. This was the 4th test conducted by Elon Musk’s rocket company, carried out without a crew.

The flight lasted approximately one hour and ended with a landing in the Indian Ocean. During re-entry into the atmosphere, the spacecraft faced high temperatures that caused some parts to break. This launch marks an advance in the Starship program, designed to transport people to the Moon and carry out space tourism flights.

Watch Starship’s fourth flight test https://t.co/SjpjscHoUB

— SpaceX (@SpaceX) June 4, 2024

The test was carried out at Starbase, a private SpaceX facility in Boca Chica, Texas. The Starship launch system is made up of the spacecraft and a booster called Super Heavy. During the test, 32 of the rocket’s 33 engines were ignited.

After separating from the spacecraft, the Super Heavy booster successfully performed a landing burn, resulting in a soft landing in the Gulf of Mexico approximately 8 minutes after launch.

Elon Musk celebrated the test in a post on X (formerly Twitter), highlighting the “epic achievement” from the SpaceX team.

“Despite the loss of many parts and a damaged flap, Starship managed to land smoothly in the ocean. Congratulations to the SpaceX team on this epic achievement”wrote Musk.

At 120 meters tall and capable of carrying up to 100 people, Starship will play a crucial role in future missions of NASA’s Artemis program, which aims to take humans back to the Moon from 2026.