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.
FAA gives nod for SpaceX Starship test flight
The US Federal Aviation Administration green lit SpaceX’s test launch of its Starship rocket system from Texas yesterday, paving the way for the Elon Musk-owned company to prove its capabilities in safely taking Nasa astronauts to the Moon.
“The FAA determined SpaceX met all safety, environmental, policy and financial responsibility requirements,” the FAA said.
The Starship vehicle and its Super Heavy booster are the world’s tallest and most powerful rocket.
This is SpaceX’s third attempt to prove that Starship can reach orbit after it failed to do so in two previous attempts last April and November.
FAA’s nod comes about 24 hours ahead of anticipated test launch during a window between 7am to 8.51am CDT (12.00pm to 1.51pm GMT) on Thursday from SpaceX’s Boca Chica facility in Texas.
“Starship flight 3 maybe tomorrow,” SpaceX chief Elon Musk posted on X.
Starship launch live: What to expect from 65-minute flight
Unlike the previous two flight tests of the fully-stacked Starship, this rocket is aiming for the Indian Ocean rather than the Pacific.
SpaceX is wanting to test out different capabilities this time around, which will cut the expected flight time from 90 minutes to just 65 minutes. It’s worth remembering that neither of the previous two attempts lasted longer than 5 minutes, so this all might be irrelevant.
Should all go to plan, it should look something like this:
HR/MIN/SEC EVENT
00:00:02 Liftoff
00:00:52 Max Q (moment of peak mechanical stress on the rocket)
00:02:42 Booster MECO (most engines cut off)
00:02:44 Hot-staging (Starship Raptor ignition and stage separation)
00:02:55 Booster boostback burn startup
00:03:50 Booster boostback burn shutdown
00:06:36 Booster is transonic
00:06:46 Booster landing burn startup
00:07:04 Booster landing burn shutdown
00:08:35 Starship engine cutoff
00:11:56 Payload door open
00:24:31 Propellant transfer demo
00:28:21 Payload door close
00:40:46 Raptor in-space relight demo
00:49:05 Starship entry
01:02:16 Starship is transonic
01:03:04 Starship is subsonic
01:04:39 Splashdown
Starship launch live: What would be considered a success?
SpaceX will be hoping it’s third time lucky for this Starship launch, though it’s far from certain that the biggest rocket ever built will even make it off the launchpad.
Test launches of earlier prototypes, which didn’t include the Super Heavy booster rocket, often ended in fiery explosions. This is still early days for Starship testing, with Elon Musk giving Starship Flight 3 a 70-80 per cent chance of reaching orbit.
We’ve heard from Chad Anderson, a managing partner of SpaceX investor Space Capital, who tells us what he would consider a success for this test launch.
“If they can actually reach orbit on the third flight, it will be an astounding success for the company,” he tells The Independent.
“SpaceX is seeking to demonstrate the basic flight capabilities of Starship so that it can move into a more operational phase of the rocket. The company wants to begin deploying larger Starlink satellites from the vehicle this year, which will enable direct-to-cell phone Internet connectivity.
“With upgraded hardware and flight software, this flight likely has a reasonable chance of success. What I’ll be looking for is nominal first-stage performance, successful separation of Starship from the first stage using ‘hot staging’ (meaning engine ignition while the first stage is still firing its engines), and Starship reaching an orbital velocity. If those things happen, I would call this test flight a success.”
Starship launch live: Boca Chica residents receive evacuation notice
A reliable indicator that a launch attempt is imminent is the evacuation notices sent to residents of Boca Chica ahead of any significant Starship activity.
These have been sent out this evening, according to X user @BocaChicaGirl, who is one of the last remaining residents of Boca Chica and a consistent source of inside info.
“I have been notified that Village evacuation is a GO for launch attempt tomorrow,” she posted to X, formerly Twitter.
Starship launch live: SpaceX shares images of fully stacked rocket
SpaceX has shared two images of the Starship rocket system fully stacked on a launchpad at its Starbase facility in Boca Chica, Texas.
The firm has also provided details about what to expect for tomorrow’s launch attempt. If all goes to plan, here’s what will happen:
The third flight test aims to build on what we’ve learned from previous flights while attempting a number of ambitious objectives, including the successful ascent burn of both stages, opening and closing Starship’s payload door, a propellant transfer demonstration during the upper stage’s coast phase, the first ever re-light of a Raptor engine while in space, and a controlled reentry of Starship. It will also fly a new trajectory, with Starship targeted to splashdown in the Indian Ocean. This new flight path enables us to attempt new techniques like in-space engine burns while maximizing public safety.
This rapid iterative development approach has been the basis for all of SpaceX’s major innovative advancements, including Falcon, Dragon, and Starlink. Recursive improvement is essential as we work to build a fully reusable transportation system capable of carrying both crew and cargo to Earth orbit, help humanity return to the Moon, and ultimately travel to Mars and beyond.
Hello and welcome...
To The Independent’s live coverage of SpaceX attempted launch of Starship.
The launch window is expected to open at 8 am EST (12 pm GMT) on Thursday, 14 March.
SpaceX has set up a live stream on X, which is set to go live 30 minutes before that launch window opens.
We’ll have a live feed right here as soon as it’s up. Until then we’ll have all the latest news and analysis for this crucial test of the world’s biggest rocket.
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