Space-X’s rocket Starship had its second major flight test this week, ascending to a height three times higher than its previous attempt before exploding.
The super-heavy spacecraft made progress from Starbase, located in Boca Chica, Texas, where it successfully lifted off before its booster was destroyed. The two-part vehicle was intended to orbit Earth before landing in the Pacific Ocean.
Mashable’s Elisha Sauers wrote, “Crucially, the space exploration company has tempered expectations for these launches, and rightfully so. Starship — standing 397 feet high (with its booster) and powered by a whopping 33 engines — isn’t nearly a finished vehicle. It’s still in the demonstration phase.”
New images and footage shared by SpaceX owner Elon Musk shed light on the journey – and are a visual treat.
Musk shared ongoing updates about the launch on X, congratulating the SpaceX team and thanking the Federal Aviation Administration for “rapid approval of a complex launch license”.
“The future of space exploration is bright,” the billiionare wrote.
SpaceX took to their account to share close-up images and videos of the powerful megarocket and the moment of its lift-off. The rocket soared 90 miles above the Earth.
Starship is designed to be a record-breaking feat, designed to be “the holy grail of space”, according to Musk.