SpaceX Test Flight Sees Mixed Results as Starship is Lost but Booster Recovery Succeeds
Source: spacenews.com Successful Launch but Lost Communication SpaceX conducted the seventh test flight of its Starship launch vehicle on Thursday, showcasing the most advanced version of its spacecraft yet. Dubbed “the most capable” Starship, this iteration marked a significant step forward as it was fully reusable. The towering rocket, over 400 feet tall and powered by 33 Raptor engines, launched successfully at 4:37 p.m. CT from SpaceX’s Starbase in Brownsville, Texas. However, the mission took a turn when communication with the spacecraft was lost just minutes after liftoff. Ground control confirmed the loss of telemetry and several engines, resulting in the spacecraft’s failure. While there were no astronauts onboard the test flight, the setback highlighted the challenges of developing a fully reusable spacecraft. The SpaceX Starship was designed to deploy 10 Starlink satellite simulators and test enhanced heat resistance features during reentry, but these objectives re...