On Friday, SpaceX launched its first set of third-generation Starlink satellites using a refined version of its prototype Starship, marking the 13th test flight of its colossal rocket. However, the company faced another setback with its Super Heavy booster during a planned simulated landing in the Gulf of Mexico.
This incident marks the second failure concerning the Super Heavy booster in this version of Starship. Earlier in May, during the inaugural flight of the Starship V3, SpaceX experienced complications with the Super Heavy booster when it detached from the rocket’s upper stage.
The latest launch came shortly after a previous attempt to launch the Starship, which had to be aborted just after ignition because of multiple engine failures. In preparation for Friday’s flight, SpaceX replaced six engines to address these issues.
During the launch, the booster progressed further than expected but was unable to ignite all the necessary engines for its simulated landing descent. Consequently, it exploded upon impact with the water at a higher speed than anticipated.
This marks the first Starship launch since SpaceX’s record-breaking IPO in June. Following the earlier launch abort, the company’s stock experienced a decline. From a high of over $200 per share, it fell to $115 by the end of trading on Friday. After-hours trading saw a further 2% drop in stock value following the latest booster failure, although some of these losses were recovered later.
On a brighter note, the upper stage of the Starship V3 performed better during this launch. Unlike the first V3 flight in May, no rocket engines were lost this time, allowing Starship to successfully deploy the new Starlink satellites.
The newly launched Starlink satellites are expected to disintegrate in the atmosphere approximately 20 minutes post-deployment, as Starship currently does not have the capability to reach Earth orbit.
Further updates will follow…
