The world watched closely as SpaceX sent its Starship rocket into the sky. This was a big test, especially after several tries that didn’t go as planned. On a recent evening, the huge rocket, the biggest and strongest ever built, lifted off from Texas. Its flight lasted about an hour, full of tense moments and amazing sights.
Things didn’t go perfectly, though. During the flight, some parts of the rocket’s engines burst into flames. Panels on its side also caught fire and swung back and forth quite a bit. But the test kept going, sticking to its planned path. The Super Heavy booster, with all 33 of its engines firing perfectly, soon separated. It then splashed down into the Gulf of Mexico, about seven minutes after launch. Starship itself kept climbing, reaching nearly 200 kilometers high. It even traveled around the Earth before returning. It came back damaged, but everyone agreed: it was a huge success.
Elon Musk, the head of SpaceX, quickly shared his excitement on X. He praised his team, simply saying, “Great job!” This was a massive relief for them. Starship had failed three times this year alone. One dramatic incident was an explosion right on the launch pad back in June.
Starship is more than just a big rocket. It’s designed to be a fully reusable system for space travel. The ultimate goal is to carry people far beyond Earth, to the Moon and even Mars. NASA, the American space agency, plans to use a special version of Starship. It will be part of their Artemis program, aiming to land astronauts on the Moon by 2027. Some experts, however, think that timeline might be a bit too optimistic.
SpaceX has always lived by a motto: “fail fast, learn fast.” They take lessons from every setback to improve their designs. But after so many explosions, people started to wonder about the company’s future. They also questioned Musk’s leadership, especially with his known involvement in US politics. This latest success, however, changes the story. It proves that the rocket can indeed fly as intended. It builds a strong foundation for humanity’s future trips to the Moon and Mars.
Source: BBC