Starship launch - as it happened: Lift off for world’s biggest rocket in huge test for Mars-bound craft
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SpaceX has successfully launched its Starship rocket in a huge test of Elon Musk’s ambitions to send humans to Mars.
The third test flight of the world’s biggest rocket saw it lift off from a launchpad at SpaceX’s Starbase facility in Boca Chica, Texas, on Thursday morning.
Two previous attempts to fly the uncrewed rocket from Texas to Hawaii both ended in high-altitude explosions. The third launch will see a different route attempted, with a splashdown site in the Indian Ocean.
“Each of these flight tests continue to be just that: a test,” SpaceX said ahead of the Starship launch attempt. “They aren’t occurring in a lab or on a test stand, but are putting flight hardware in a flight environment to maximise learning.”
You can follow all the latest news, analysis and updates - as well as watch a live stream of the Starship launch - in our live coverage below.
Starship launch live: Watch SpaceX live stream of test flight
SpaceX has begun the broadcast of its live stream for today’s Starship launch attempt.
You can watch it here:
Goodbye...
and thanks for joining us for today’s launch. It was a big success for SpaceX on its 22nd birthday. I’m off to enjoy my own birthday now - good night!
SpaceX just fired the most powerful rocket ever made into orbit
SpaceX has launched the most powerful rocket ever made into orbit.
Starship launch live: SpaceX takes ‘vital steps' with successful test
We’ve heard from Dr Daniel Brown, an astronomy expert at Nottingham Trent University. He describes the latest Starship flight test as an “amazing” success, which could redefine the space industry.
“This third test has had very much the same tension as the first two, with SpaceX pushing payload door testing and reignition of engines in space, hoping to get to descent phase. These are vital steps in using Starship for any future missions,” he says.
“It’s been reassuring to see how both booster and starship survived the separation, which is what failed last time. It’s also amazing to see that Starship has gone into descent phase, so SpaceX can collect a huge amount of data essential for landing... It is also amazing to showcase what private companies can achieve in the space market.”
Starship launch live: SpaceX ‘ready to begin payload delivery missions'
We’ve heard from Chad Anderson, a managing partner of SpaceX investor Space Capital, who tells us why he believes SpaceX is now ready to begin commercial operations with Starship.
“This is a hugely successful test flight for SpaceX,” he tells The Independent.
“Starship achieved nearly all of its goals on what was an extremely ambitious test flight. An important objective with this test was for Starship to achieve orbital velocity. Another key test was to successfully open the payload doors. Those two factors were needed in order for SpaceX to move ahead with its plans to launch the first Starlink satellites using Starship.
“At this point, I think SpaceX has demonstrated that Starship is now ready to begin its payload delivery missions, which is an incredible breakthrough for the company - as well as for the entire space economy.”
Starship launch live: Plasma field envelops rocket on reentry
If you missed it, you can watch a replay of Starship beginning its reentry into the Earth’s atmosphere.
It may not have ended as planned, but it began spectacularly, with a plasma field growing around the flaps before enveloping the entire rocket.
SpaceX boss Elon Musk shared a clip of the moment on X:
Starship launch live: SpaceX confirms rocket is lost
SpaceX has just confirmed that Starship did not survive reentry.
SpaceX loses Starship, the biggest and most powerful spacecraft ever made
SpaceX has lost its Starship, after it fell to Earth and presumably into the Indian Ocean.
Starship launch live: Elon Musk congratulates SpaceX team
SpaceX boss Elon Musk has congratulated his team in a series of posts on X (formerly Twitter).
“SpaceX has come a long way,” he wrote, sharing a picture of the company being founded in 2002 alongside a video of today’s launch.
Starship launch live: Watch moment world’s biggest rocket lifts off
You can rewatch the moment Starship lifted off from the launchpad at SpaceX’s Starbase facility in Boca Chica, Texas, earlier today.
Starship launch live:
There are some incredible views from the onboard cameras as Starship reenters the Earth’s atmosphere.
It’s reaching temperatures of 1,400C as it reenters the Earth’s atmosphere, I’ve no idea how the camera is even surviving that.
First the flaps begin to glow red hot:
Then you can see the plasma blanket as it envelops the craft:
Starship launch live: Rocket set to reenter Earth’s atmosphere
We’re out of the coast phase and will soon be going into the reentry phase.
During the last 20 minutes, Starship has been performing numerous demonstrations relating to its overall mission of testing out procedures and gathering data.
We’ve had great HD views of the craft as it orbits the planet, courtesy of SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet, though signal is expected to be lost during the reentry.
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