Under the eyes of Donald Trump, SpaceX launched its Starship megarocket on Tuesday, but had to give up trying to catch its first stage with mechanical arms, failing in this complex maneuver that it had nevertheless succeeded in last month.
The sixth test flight of this giant rocket took off at 4 p.m. local time (10 p.m. GMT) from the company’s Starbase in Boca Chica, Texas.
Donald Trump arrived wearing his iconic red cap, and Elon Musk said he was “honored” by his presence. The two billionaires thus displayed their new closeness – and their interest in the conquest of space.
SpaceX aims to use Starship, the world’s largest and most powerful rocket, to colonize Mars. The development of the spacecraft is also closely monitored by NASA, which is counting on it to bring its astronauts back to the Moon.
The objectives of this new test flight were largely similar to the previous one last month.
Getty Images via AFP
The rocket is made up of the Super Heavy first stage (70 meters high) and, above it, the Starship (50 m), which by extension gives its name to the entire launcher.
After propelling the ship, Super Heavy detaches from it and begins its descent. In October, rather than ending his journey in the sea, he had succeeded in an unprecedented maneuver.
He had returned to his launch pad by slowing down with the help of retrorockets, and just before hitting the ground, mechanical arms installed on the launch tower – nicknamed “wands” – had closed on him and immobilized.
AFP
But this time, SpaceX announced shortly after takeoff that the criteria were not met to attempt the operation and Super Heavy ditched in the Gulf of Mexico where it disintegrated.
For its part, the Starship continued its flight, with the aim of landing in the Indian Ocean. This time it must take place during the day in order to encourage visual observations. Tests on the thermal shield are also planned.
“Elon, it’sis awesome”
The rocket must ultimately be fully reusable and that is why SpaceX is seeking to catch up on its first stage.
This strategy aims to be able to launch more machines more quickly, and for much less money than if it was necessary to use new equipment each time.
AFP
During the October test, the rocket gained a new admirer in the person of Donald Trump. In his victory speech on presidential election night, he described watching the rocket being caught and feeling like he was “in a movie.”
“I called Elon. I said: Elon, was that you? He told me yes. I said: (…) Can Russia do it? No. Can China do it? No. Can the United States do it besides you? No,” the president-elect exclaimed.
AFP
“I said, that’s why I love you, Elon, that’s awesome.”
The boss of SpaceX spent tens of millions of dollars to support the Republican’s campaign, and in exchange landed an advisory position – ignoring possible conflicts of interest, SpaceX having numerous contracts in progress with the American government.
March in 2 years?
The development of Starship is being carried out vigorously by the company, launching prototypes without cargo, in order to quickly correct the problems encountered in real flight situations.
SpaceX, however, revealed that it was transporting cargo for the first time on Tuesday: a banana.
Getty Images via AFP
Several of Starship’s first tests ended in explosions, leading to complaints from environmental groups. The Texas space base is in fact located near protected areas.
In a video posted in late October by Elon Musk showing him playing a video game, a man reporting on the fifth test in the background recounts how SpaceX was “one second” away from ordering the rocket to crash next to the launch tower.
Getty Images via AFP
But nothing seems to shake the boss’s confidence.
“The first Starships to Mars will take off in two years,” recently said Elon Musk, known for his very optimistic predictions. “If these landings go well, the first crewed flights to Mars will take place in four years.”
An objective shared by Donald Trump, who wants these missions to take place before the end of his mandate.
