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“Five, four, three, two, three, one. ” At this point, we have already exceeded the Max-Q, the maximum dynamic pressure. And by going supersonic, we’re now moving faster than the speed of sound. Get those insights aboard the ship’s cameras. The thrusters are now returning and see six engines on the ship. Kate, we’ve got an area ship in your area and a thruster in your back to the Gulf. “Oh, man. I want a moment to lift my jaw off the ground while those prospects are simply breathtaking.
By Kenneth Chang
The third proved closer to the charm of Elon Musk and SpaceX, as his company’s gigantic Starship rocket was unveiled on Thursday and traveled about halfway around Earth before being lost on re-entry into the atmosphere.
The test flight achieved several key milestones in the development of the vehicle, which could replace the long-term space transportation and return of NASA astronauts to the moon.
This particular flight, by design, was not intended to circle the Earth. At 8:25 a. m. Central Time, Starship, the largest and most resilient rocket ever introduced, blasted off from the South Coast of Texas. The ascent went off without a hitch, with the upper-level spacecraft reaching orbital speeds. About forty-five minutes after launch, it began to re-enter the atmosphere, heading for a crash landing in the Indian Ocean.
Live video, streamed in near real-time via SpaceX’s Starlink satellites, showed burning gases heating the underside of the vehicle. Then, 49 minutes after launch, communications with Starship ended and SpaceX later said the vehicle did not re-enter, possibly disintegrating and falling into the ocean.
Despite this, Bill Nelson, the NASA administrator, congratulated SpaceX for what he called a “successful test flight” of the formula his company uses for some of its Artemis lunar missions.
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