In the annals of spaceflight, few moments will loom as large as SpaceX’s latest achievement: the first-ever atmospheric test of Starship 3, the biggest and most powerful rocket ever constructed. Spread across an epic hour of breathtaking aerial choreography, the mammoth launch vehicle checked off a series of major milestones that bring humanity one step closer to ambitions of interplanetary travel.
SpaceX’s second orbital test flight attempt of its Starship 2 spacecraft and Super Heavy booster has ended prematurely after an apparent anomaly resulted in loss of signal during the mission.
The action kicked off shortly after 9:25 a.m. ET on Thursday, as Starship’s 33 Raptor engines roared to life at SpaceX’s Starbase facility in Texas. From the get-go, it was clear this was no ordinary rocket launch. At a staggering 5,000 tons, the gargantuan two-stage system ranks as the largest flying object ever built—surpassing even the iconic Apollo-era Saturn V that delivered astronauts to the Moon.
But sheer size was just the beginning. After climbing skyward, Starship and its massive Super Heavy booster executed a textbook stage separation, with the upper segment continuing its solo flight under the power of its six Raptor engines.
From there, the test pressed on to new frontiers. Starship proceeded to coast halfway around the planet before reigniting its engines to perform an audacious atmospheric re-entry over the Indian Ocean. This upcoming splashdown attempt would provide critical data for SpaceX’s plans for future orbital launches and Mars voyage simulations.
All the while, real-time video feeds captured the unprecedented spectacle like nothing before. As Elon Musk succinctly exclaimed via tweet from mission control, “Starship reached orbital velocity!”
While the full scope of the risky mission’s success won’t be clear until more telemetry readings are available, one thing is certain: The rocketry game has been forever changed. Between this trailblazing demonstration and the recent triumph of SpaceX’s astronaut launch, it’s been a momentous week reminding us just how swiftly spaceflight’s cutting edge continues advancing toward the final frontier.