SpaceX conducted the 13th test flight of the Starship rocket, during which it launched 20 new-generation Starlink satellites into orbit for the first time. This was reported by the Associated Press, writes UNN.
Details
The launch took place from the company's spaceport in southern Texas. The flight lasted about an hour and ended with the spacecraft splashing down in the Indian Ocean, where it remained afloat for some time.
According to AP, before the launch, SpaceX replaced six of the 33 first-stage engines after a previous attempt had to be canceled due to a technical malfunction. During the new flight, all engines started successfully, but the booster failed to perform a controlled return and fell into the Gulf of Mexico.
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At the same time, the spacecraft itself continued its flight and sequentially deployed 20 Starlink satellites into orbit at an altitude of about 200 km, after which it entered the atmosphere and made a soft splashdown in the Indian Ocean.
NASA monitored the test
As AP notes, the launch was an important milestone for NASA's Artemis program, as the agency plans to use Starship as a lunar landing module for future missions to the Moon.
I look forward to what we will learn from this mission
During the mission, the new Starlink satellites successfully established laser communication with already operational spacecraft in orbit. In addition, SpaceX tested an improved Starship heat shield equipped with sensors to collect data during atmospheric entry.
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