On November 18, SpaceX launched its second launch of the year for the iconic Starship rocket. The launch was highly anticipated, as the first test flight did not go as planned, causing the first rocket to have to explode due to a failure to separate from the booster. But this time, things were different.
The first launch took place on April 20, and Starship had a hard time decoupling from the booster. As a result, the rocket had to be destroyed, covering the surrounding area with debris and mud. Witnesses said rocks, concrete and sand were hurled into the air, causing a plume of dirt and dust to accumulate near the launch site.
But SpaceX was determined to overcome these challenges and make great strides with the new second Starship rocket. On the second attempted launch, which occurred on November 18, Starship successfully separated from its booster and reached space for the first time. This marked a particular milestone for the company and demonstrated their commitment to pushing the boundaries of space exploration.
Unfortunately, the success was short-lived, as the rocket’s massive Super Heavy booster exploded shortly after. Following the explosion, the second stage of Starship reached altitudes at which they had never reach before with the first test, so even though they did pull the plug in the end, it was a success. SpaceX described the event as “a rapid disassembly,” as Elon Musk always says. The bottom booster was suspected to have failed, mostly because its engines did not fire when turning around for the return trip. The second stage of Starship was seen flying out of sight, and returning to Earth as only a cloud of liquid oxygen and methane. Nothing at this point has been released from reliable sources.
Regardless of the unexpected outcome, SpaceX is determined to learn from this experience and improve its future launches. The company plans to analyze the data collected from the second installation and make necessary changes to the hot staging sequence and make sure it goes as planned next time they launch.
