SpaceX launched the fifteenth test flight of its Starship megacohete from Starbase, Texas, on Friday, infobae reported.
The mission initially aimed to catch both the Super Heavy booster and the upper-stage spacecraft using mechanical arms on the launch tower. Instead, ground crews directed the booster to splash down in the Gulf of Mexico after encountering a guidance issue. SpaceX informed that the Super Heavy was “desviado hacia un amerizaje en alta mar en el golfo”, without offering immediate details about the decision.
The upper-stage Starship vehicle reached orbit, deploying 26 Starlink V3 internet satellites, according to Clarin.com. The upper stage is scheduled to return on Saturday for a vertical controlled landing attempt.
Clayton Swope of the Center for Strategic and International Studies said that achieving this capability represents a central milestone for the aerospace industry, La Nación reported. Elon Musk has previously stated goals of scaling operations significantly by the end of the decade, with founder and chief executive Elon Musk setting a target of 10,000 Starship flights per year by 2030.
Booster stops ascent after guidance anomaly
The Super Heavy booster lifted off with Starship, accelerated the stack, and separated six and a half minutes into the flight. Dan Huot, director of communication at SpaceX, explained that the first stage stopped its ascent after detecting a guidance, navigation, and control anomaly, Clarin.com reported. Controllers then waived the planned tower catch at Mechazilla.
The Gulf of Mexico served as an emergency contingency zone for the booster. Kathleen Curlee, a space analyst at Georgetown University, said that millions of moving parts must function simultaneously for a successful dual recovery. The 72-meter-tall booster lifted off with Starship, accelerated the stack, and separated from the upper stage, which continued into space.
Orbital mission parameters
Jeremy Pedro, director de sistemas de propulsión de Starship en SpaceX, declaró que el vehículo está diseñado para ser reutilizable y sobrevivir a la reentrada atmosférica, en un video reciente de la compañía. Jeremy Pedro stated: “Starship está claramente diseñada para ser un vehículo de lanzamiento reutilizable y para sobrevivir a la reentrada atmosférica”.
Jeremy Pedro added: “Por lo tanto, es fundamental que no dejemos el vehículo en órbita en caso de que reingrese a la atmósfera de forma inesperada y vuelva a sobrevolar zonas terrestres o pobladas”. Huot confirmed that the vehicle remained in good condition hours after reaching space, Clarin.com reported.
Starship return path avoids major cities
SpaceX scheduled the Starship spacecraft to execute roughly 14 orbits around the Earth before initiating its return sequence. Residents across parts of South Texas and northern Mexico might hear sonic booms as the vehicle decelerates, infobae reported.
The final path will pass over sparsely populated areas of northern Mexico and southern Texas, avoiding major cities in the Rio Grande Valley, crossing north of South Padre Island, and passing over the Gulf of Mexico before turning toward Starbase.
Controllers will evaluate real-time telemetry on Saturday to decide whether to authorize the final descent toward the launch tower arms.
