SpaceX's Starship rocket successfully launched into orbit.

In the US, SpaceX's powerful Starship rocket system attempted multiple maneuvers in orbit within an hour for the first time, but failed to land safely.

SpaceX's massive Starship rocket made its first flight to orbit but was destroyed during re-entry, according to Space . The largest and most powerful rocket ever built lifted off from the launch pad in Boca Chica, Texas, at 9:25 AM local time on March 14th (8:25 PM on May 14th Hanoi time), entering the stratosphere just minutes later with a record thrust of 7.5 million kilograms. At 120 meters tall, Starship could carry ten times the payload of SpaceX's current Falcon 9 rocket.

This was the rocket's third test flight and its first launch into orbit. The two previous launches ended with explosions of the Super Heavy 33-engine booster. After Starship performed a series of maneuvers during its hour-long orbital flight (including re-igniting engines and opening the cargo bay doors), the mission control team reported losing contact with Starlink, SpaceX's satellite internet service, and the tracking and data transmission satellite system they used to monitor the rocket. SpaceX confirmed that Starship likely broke apart or exploded over the Indian Ocean.

Although the upper stage of Starship failed to land on the sea as planned, its cameras remained operational during re-entry. The upper stage reached its maximum orbital speed and altitude of 234 km, according to telemetry data provided by SpaceX. Starship sent back impressive images from this altitude, including fluffy white clouds over the sea and the curvature of Earth against the dark backdrop of space. Approximately 46 minutes after launch, Starship descended to an altitude of 100 km. Cameras on Starship captured streaks of orange fire emanating from its fins and underside. A few seconds later, these became walls of superheated plasma as Starship flew lower and lower, experiencing temperatures up to 1,430 degrees Celsius.

Transmitting data through such a hot plasma field is extremely difficult. But Starship still managed to do it, using SpaceX's Starlink internet satellite to communicate with ground controllers. Starship continued sending image data until 48.5 minutes after launch, when it descended to an altitude of 77 km. After that, all data stopped abruptly, suggesting Starship most likely broke apart due to friction.

SpaceX plans to use future versions of Starship to transport astronauts, spacecraft, satellites, and cargo to various locations in the solar system. NASA intends to use Starship's crewed landing system to return astronauts to the lunar surface for the first time since 1972, during the Artemis 3 and 4 missions. Starship is designed with cost-effectiveness and efficient production in mind, using inexpensive stainless steel and methane fuel. The vehicle is designed to be reusable and carry up to 275 tons of cargo.

Starship's first two test flights in April 2023 and November 2023 lasted only 4 and 8 minutes, respectively. SpaceX built four more Starship rockets to perfect the vehicle through further testing. According to them, failures in the initial testing phase are normal.

An Khang (According to Live Science )

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