The Starship is 123 meters high, propelled into orbit by 33 methane Raptor engines. After about 3 minutes, the Super Heavy thrust layer separated, testing new operations when switching from the main engine to the reserve engine for landing. As a result, the 71-meter-high plow successfully received water into the Gulf of Mexico.
Meanwhile, the Starship floor opened the cargo compartment door for the first time and released eight Starlink simulated satellites. The spacecraft also re-ignited the Raptor engine in space, before returning to the atmosphere and falling into the Indian Ocean. Although it exploded during the water supply, the entire testing process went as planned and kept in touch with the engineers until the end.
SpaceX also took the opportunity to inspect the upgraded heat protection system, testing metal panels and actively cooling coating in extremely high temperatures when re-entering the atmosphere. This is important data for further flights.
This success helps SpaceX solve technical problems that have caused the upper layer to lose control in previous launches. This is considered a big step forward for the Starship program, which is expected to bring people to the Moon in 2027 under a contract with NASA. At the same time, deploy a new generation of Starlink satellites and further, the mission to conquer Mars.
