SpaceX successfully landed a Starship prototype for the first time
Source: The Verge
SpaceX launched a high-altitude Starship prototype rocket and successfully landed it for the first time on Wednesday, overcoming a key technical challenge in Elon Musks whirlwind test campaign to build a fully reusable Mars rocket. Musk has said the SN15 rocket contained hundreds of design improvements over past high-altitude prototypes, which were all destroyed during explosive landing attempts.
Starship SN15 lifted off at 6:24PM ET from SpaceXs remote Boca Chica, Texas facilities, soaring over 6 miles in the sky to test a number of in-flight maneuvers. As it neared peak altitude, SN15s three Raptor engines gradually shut down to begin a horizontal free-fall back toward the ground before reigniting two of its engines to execute a complex landing flip maneuver, where it shifts itself vertical for a slow touchdown.
The rocket deployed a set of tiny legs and landed firmly on a concrete pad not far from its launchpad, becoming the first Starship prototype to survive its high-altitude flight. A small fire appeared near the base of the rocket after landing not unusual with the methane fuel that were carrying, SpaceX engineer and livestream announcer John Insprucker said but was extinguished a few minutes later.
Read more: https://www.theverge.com/2021/5/5/22421845/spacex-starship-sn15-successful-landing
Warpy
(111,254 posts)but I'm delighted they finally got a large rocket to stick the landing without exploding.
It's more like a "PlanetShip", once it finally works and goes into service.