On Monday September 28 SpaceX achieved a major milestone by sending its Starship rocket into orbit for the first time. The mission known as Flight 14 faced unexpected challenges leading to a fiery conclusion. NASA and space enthusiasts closely watched this test since it plays a key role in future lunar missions. Here is a breakdown of what happened during this ambitious launch.
A historic launch from Texas
SpaceX launched the tallest and most powerful rocket ever built from their Starbase in Boca Chica Texas on Monday morning. The massive rocket blasted off at 8.49 a.m. Eastern Time and things started off looking really great for the team. Engineers noted that tanking and launch went smoothly and the rocket even sent back some spectacular pictures of Earth as it raced upward.
An unexpected engine failure
Things got pretty stressful shortly after the launch when one of the 33 engines on Starship failed. You can imagine the tension in the control room as a few long minutes went by while the team tried to figure out if they should keep going. Eventually the call came through to go for orbit and they pushed forward despite the missing engine.
Reaching orbit for the first time
A quick fire of the boosters nudged the rocket right into orbit which is a huge first for this flagship rocket. It zipped around the Earth reaching a highest point of about 170 miles above the surface of the planet. SpaceX actually called this their most ambitious launch to date during their live broadcast and it is easy to see why.
Successful satellite deployment
One of the main goals for this trip was putting some new tech into space and they actually managed to pull that off. Starship successfully deployed 26 of the new Starlink V3 satellites while it was flying high up there. These specific satellites are designed to boost internet speeds and make the service way more reliable for people back on the ground.
The booster splashdown
The mission also tested the main booster which had some shiny new hardware and software upgrades since the last flight. Shortly after the launch the booster separated exactly like it was supposed to and safely splashed down in the Gulf of Mexico. It is always a relief when at least one part of a giant rocket comes back down nicely without blowing up.
Changing the mission plan
The original plan was for Starship to stay up in space for about 10 hours but the team decided to cut things short. After dropping off the satellites SpaceX decided not to leave the rocket up there and brought it back early. The whole trip only ended up lasting 3 hours and 8 minutes before it returned to Earth.
A fiery ocean landing
Starship splashed down in the Pacific Ocean and then promptly exploded with a massive fiery bang. An explosive landing was honestly always expected for this test and you could even hear people cheering on the SpaceX livestream when it happened. Still they probably would have preferred to keep the rocket intact just like they did on their thirteenth flight.
A history of bumpy test flights
SpaceX is definitely no stranger to explosions because several of their past Starship tests ended in fiery debris raining from the sky. The seventh and eighth flights blew up and they even had one explode right on the launchpad before the tenth mission. But they did have a clean run on their eleventh flight in October so it is clearly a process of trial and error.
The important connection to NASA
There are high stakes here because NASA really needs this rocket to work so they can return humans to the moon in early 2028. The US space agency needs a commercial lander to ferry astronauts down to the lunar surface during the upcoming Artemis IV mission. NASA plans to take astronauts to lunar orbit in their Orion spacecraft and then transfer them to a lander for the final trip down.
A tight deadline for future missions
SpaceX is currently developing a special moon landing version of Starship just for this big NASA job. Rival company Blue Origin is lagging behind after their own rocket exploded in May so a lot rides on Starship getting things right. With the clock ticking down everyone is wondering if SpaceX can fix these explosive issues and meet the tight deadlines for the Artemis program.
