SpaceX’s Starship spacecraft travelled more than halfway around the world on Thursday before coming to a fiery end over the Indian Ocean.
The test flight was considered the most successful demonstration to date of the vehicle the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has chosen to land astronauts on the moon one day.
According to the Washington Post, while the spacecraft did not survive re-entry into Earth’s atmosphere, it completed some important milestones that were commended as major steps toward helping SpaceX perfect the art of flying the world’s largest and most powerful rocket.
In addition to a near-perfect launch, the craft flew for nearly an hour after lifting off from the billionaire Elon Musk’s SpaceX’s private launch site in South Texas near the Gulf of Mexico at 9:25 a.m. Eastern time.
All 33 of the booster’s engines ignited successfully, and after nearly three minutes, the Starship spacecraft separated and began a journey across the globe powered by its six engines.
The mission, SpaceX’s third test flight of the Starship system, was eagerly awaited by NASA, which is investing $4 billion in developing Starship.
It intends to use the system to transport astronauts to the moon in the first two human landings since the Apollo era.
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Applauding the feat, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson wrote in a post on X, “Congrats to @SpaceX on a successful test flight! Starship has soared into the heavens. Together, we are making great strides through Artemis to return humanity to the Moon — then look onward to Mars.”
The vehicle, collectively called Starship, is composed of the Super Heavy booster and a spacecraft that sits on top.
The company already has several other rockets under production and hopes to fly again soon, SpaceX CEO, Musk has said.
