US: SpaceX launches its largest Starship rocket ever.

SpaceX has test-fired the largest and most advanced version of Starship to date, the upgraded rocket model that NASA hopes will take astronauts back to the Moon.

On May 22, aerospace company SpaceX test-fired its largest and most advanced version of Starship to date, an upgraded rocket model that the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) hopes will take astronauts back to the Moon.

This was the 12th test flight of the rocket series developed by billionaire Elon Musk with the goal of sending humans to Mars. However, in the immediate future, Starship will serve NASA's Artemis program to return astronauts to the Moon. NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman was present to observe the launch and assessed that Starship had taken another step towards the goal of conquering the Moon.

The rocket took off from the southern tip of Texas (USA), carrying 20 Starlink simulator satellites and dropping them on a journey lasting about an hour around half the Earth. Despite some engine trouble, Starship still flew to its planned destination in the Indian Ocean before catching fire upon impact with water – a situation SpaceX said was anticipated.

This was the first test flight of the third-generation Starship (V3), a significantly upgraded version compared to the previous model that was test flown last October. This time, the rocket lifted off from a new launch pad at Starbase, near the Mexican border, after a technical issue forced SpaceX to postpone its launch on May 21.

SpaceX wants to avoid a repeat of the mid-air explosions that occurred during two consecutive launches last year, which sent debris crashing into the Atlantic Ocean. Several previous flights have also ended in fire and explosions.

This time, Starship didn't explode mid-flight. The spacecraft plunged into the Indian Ocean vertically and appeared to maintain control before tipping over and bursting into flames.

Although the takeoff went smoothly, not all engines were operational during the return phase. Nevertheless, Starship still reached an altitude of approximately 194km and transmitted rare images of its flight via Starlink satellites equipped with cameras.

At 124 meters tall, the new Starship version is larger and more powerful than its predecessors, and features upgraded control, fuel, and navigation systems to support future lunar missions.

SpaceX developed Starship with full reusability in mind, but the company did not recover any parts during this test flight.

This massive rocket was redesigned to make its maiden flight just two days after SpaceX CEO Elon Musk announced he would be taking the company public.

NASA is spending billions of dollars on SpaceX and Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin to develop lunar landers for the Artemis program. The two companies are now fiercely competing for the leading position.

While Starship has made several flights to the edge of space, each lasting about an hour, Blue Origin's Blue Moon spacecraft has yet to make its first flight, and the company is preparing to test a prototype on the Moon later this year.

NASA plans to follow up the successful April orbital flight around the Moon by four astronauts with a docking test in Earth orbit next year. During the Artemis III mission, the astronauts will practice docking the Orion spacecraft with Starship, Blue Moon, or both.

Additionally, NASA could carry out a mission to land two astronauts on the Moon as early as 2028 using either Starship or Blue Moon, whichever option is safest and most readily available.

This will be the first time NASA has returned humans to the Moon since the Apollo 17 mission in 1972. NASA aims to build a base near the Moon's South Pole with the participation of both astronauts and robots.

SpaceX is now also accepting bookings for private flights to the Moon and Mars using Starship. California businessman Dennis Tito – the world's first space tourist – and his wife signed up for a flight around the Moon more than three years ago, although the timing of the trip remains undetermined.

This week, Chinese-born bitcoin investor Chun Wang also announced he will participate in Starship's first interplanetary flight to Mars. Previously, Wang chartered SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft last year to orbit the Earth's poles, becoming one of the first people to fly in orbit past the North and South Poles.

There is currently no information available regarding the cost or timing of this flight to Mars.

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(VNA/Vietnam+)

Source: https://www.vietnamplus.vn/my-spacex-phong-thu-ten-lua-starship-lon-nhat-tu-truoc-den-nay-post1112124.vnp