As it happenedended

Starship launch as it happened: SpaceX aborts ‘chopstick’ catch of world’s biggest rocket

Watch a live stream of today’s SpaceX launch in Texas at the top of the blog below

Wednesday 20 November 2024 09:19 GMT

Trump Joining Musk at SpaceX Launch

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SpaceX aborted an attempt to catch its Starship rocket on Tuesday in a blow to Elon Musk’s Mars ambitions.

The sixth Starship flight test saw SpaceX once again attempt to catch the rocket’s Super Heavy booster using “chopstick” arms at the launch tower at the company’s Starbase facility in Boca Chica, Texas.

Measuring 120-metres-tall, Starship is the biggest rocket ever built, capable of carrying up to 100 people. SpaceX hopes to use it to ferry crew and cargo across the solar system, aiming to establish a permanent human colony on Mars by 2050.

Tuesday’s launch was uncrewed, with the failed catch of the booster followed by a successful splashdown of the upper stage Starship rocket in the Indian Ocean. Other objectives for the mission were also completed, including a first in-space burn using a single Raptor engine.

The 30-minute launch window opened at 4pm local time (10pm GMT), with a live stream broadcast beginning 40 minutes before lift-off.

BREAKING: Starship splashes down successfully

Starship has successfully completed its splashdown in the Indian Ocean.

This is how it looked coming in:

Anthony Cuthbertson19 November 2024 23:08

Starship on fire

Starship now appears to be on fire as it bobs on the surface of the Indian Ocean.

SpaceX had already said that it did not expect to recover the rocket, so it won’t be too concerned by a few flames after such a smooth splash down.

Anthony Cuthbertson19 November 2024 23:10

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