Manila – SpaceX's ambitious Starship rocket embarked on its second test flight on Saturday, launching successfully in the state of Texas. This unmanned test flight marked another significant step for the aerospace company in its quest to develop a spacecraft capable of carrying humans and cargo into space.
According to Philippines News Agency, Starship, measuring 121 meters (397 feet) and equipped with 33 "Raptor Vacuum" engines, achieved a smooth takeoff. However, during the test, the connection between the core and the rocket was lost in the eighth minute of the launch. SpaceX, during its live broadcast, announced the activation of the "flight termination system," a safety measure to prevent the rocket from straying off its planned trajectory.
The primary objective of this second test flight was for Starship to reach an altitude of 240 kilometers (149 miles) and then land in the Pacific Ocean near Hawaii, approximately 90 minutes after liftoff. This mission follows the first test flight in April, which lasted only four minutes before the rocket exploded and fell into the Gulf of Mexico.
If the results from this latest test are deemed satisfactory by officials, Starship is set to embark on its maiden space journey and earn the title of the world's most powerful rocket.