SpaceX launched the world’s most powerful rocket on its fourth flight Thursday, successfully putting the company’s Starship upper stage into space and then bringing it back down through the heat of re-entry for an apparently controlled splashdown in the Indian Ocean despite severe damage to at least one steering fin.The gargantuan Super Heavy first stage booster also pulled off a controlled descent to a “soft” landing in the Gulf of Mexico after propelling the Starship out of the lower atmosphere. It was the first time both stages were able to accomplish the test flight’s primary objectives.”Despite loss of many (heat-shield) tiles and a damaged flap, Starship made it all the way to a soft landing in the ocean!” SpaceX founder Elon Must said on X. “Congratulations @SpaceX team on an epic achievement!”A drone captures a view of the Super Heavy-Starship blasting off from SpaceX’s Boca Chica, Texas, launch site to kick off the program’s fourth test flight. / Credit: SpaceXThe 397-foot-tall rocket blasted off from SpaceX’s Boca Chica, Texas, “Starbase” flight facility at 8:50 a.m. EDT, thundering away from the Gulf Coast on the power of 33 methane-burning Raptor engines in the Super Heavy first stage.With Musk looking on from the company’s launch control center, holding one of his children on his lap, the Super Heavy-Starship climbed from its pad atop a brilliant jet of flaming exhaust, arcing to the east as it accelerated skyward.Another view of the Super Heavy-Starship departing the Texas Gulf Coast. Note the graphic at bottom left showing one of the 33 Raptor engines shut down moments after liftoff. / Credit: SpaceXCapable of generating 16 million pounds of thrust during the initial stages of flight, the rocket is by far the most powerful launcher ever built with more than twice the liftoff thrust of the space shuttle, NASA’s legendary Apollo program Saturn 5 and the Space Launch System rocket designed for the agency’s Artemis moon rocket.Despite one Raptor shut …
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[mwai_chat context=”Let’s have a discussion about this article:nnSpaceX launched the world’s most powerful rocket on its fourth flight Thursday, successfully putting the company’s Starship upper stage into space and then bringing it back down through the heat of re-entry for an apparently controlled splashdown in the Indian Ocean despite severe damage to at least one steering fin.The gargantuan Super Heavy first stage booster also pulled off a controlled descent to a “soft” landing in the Gulf of Mexico after propelling the Starship out of the lower atmosphere. It was the first time both stages were able to accomplish the test flight’s primary objectives.”Despite loss of many (heat-shield) tiles and a damaged flap, Starship made it all the way to a soft landing in the ocean!” SpaceX founder Elon Must said on X. “Congratulations @SpaceX team on an epic achievement!”A drone captures a view of the Super Heavy-Starship blasting off from SpaceX’s Boca Chica, Texas, launch site to kick off the program’s fourth test flight. / Credit: SpaceXThe 397-foot-tall rocket blasted off from SpaceX’s Boca Chica, Texas, “Starbase” flight facility at 8:50 a.m. EDT, thundering away from the Gulf Coast on the power of 33 methane-burning Raptor engines in the Super Heavy first stage.With Musk looking on from the company’s launch control center, holding one of his children on his lap, the Super Heavy-Starship climbed from its pad atop a brilliant jet of flaming exhaust, arcing to the east as it accelerated skyward.Another view of the Super Heavy-Starship departing the Texas Gulf Coast. Note the graphic at bottom left showing one of the 33 Raptor engines shut down moments after liftoff. / Credit: SpaceXCapable of generating 16 million pounds of thrust during the initial stages of flight, the rocket is by far the most powerful launcher ever built with more than twice the liftoff thrust of the space shuttle, NASA’s legendary Apollo program Saturn 5 and the Space Launch System rocket designed for the agency’s Artemis moon rocket.Despite one Raptor shut …nnDiscussion:nn” ai_name=”RocketNews AI: ” start_sentence=”Can I tell you more about this article?” text_input_placeholder=”Type ‘Yes'”]
