The American company SpaceX has successfully carried out the eleventh test launch of the largest spacecraft in history, Starship.
After the flight, the spacecraft’s upper stage was successfully lowered into the Indian Ocean. The company reported this on X.
“The landing was carried out. Congratulations to the entire SpaceX team on the successful completion of the eleventh test flight of Starship,” the company X said in a statement on its microblog.
During the flight, several Starlink satellite models were launched into space.
This was the last test launch before SpaceX tests a new function for missions to the Moon and Mars.
The spacecraft was launched from the Starbase space station in Texas. About ten minutes later, the Super Heavy accelerator was lowered into the Gulf of Mexico, and the upper stage into the Indian Ocean, having previously launched satellite models into orbit.
Starship, along with Super Heavy, stands 123 meters tall, making it the largest and most powerful rocket not only in SpaceX’s history but also in the history of space science. The company plans to make Starship a reusable spacecraft, which will significantly reduce the cost of space flights.
SpaceX CEO Elon Musk previously announced that Starship will be able to travel to Mars in 2026. The US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) also plans to use it for human-crewed missions to the Moon. Starship test launches have begun in 2023.
