Space X had what was considered a mostly successful launch of the 400 foot tall Starship megarocket today.
The unmanned rocket, which was almost 400 feet tall launched at 8 am EDT for an important test flight. It was a successful launch and both stages of the rocket appeared to have a successful separation.
Space X and Elon Musk have reached milestones in rocket and spacecraft technology that are unprecedented in the industry.
There were some issues that Space X explained on X (Twitter).
The booster experienced a rapid unscheduled disassembly shortly after stage separation while Starship’s engines fired for several minutes on its way to space
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) November 18, 2023
About 10 minutes after liftoff Space X mission control lost contact with Starship. It is believed that an automated termination system aboard the spacecraft caused the detonation of Starship.
It was a mostly successful second outing for SpaceX’s next-generation Starship megarocket.
The nearly 400-foot-tall uncrewed rocket lifted off on a crucial test flight at 8 a.m. ET, and while SpaceX pulled off several major objectives, they ultimately lost contact with Starship around 10 minutes after liftoff.
Few details are known at this time, but during a livestream of the event, one SpaceX official said an automated termination system onboard Starship was likely triggered and the spacecraft appeared to have detonated.
Still, SpaceX was able to achieve more milestones during this flight compared to its first attempt earlier in the year.
Watch the Starship launch in slow motion:
Magnificent Machine with a 1000 ft plume
pic.twitter.com/wsyXJQJr3v— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 18, 2023
Watch:
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 18, 2023
Spectacular footage shows the booster exploding.
Watch:
