The third try turned out to be closer to the charm for Elon Musk and SpaceX, as company’s mammoth Starship rocket launched on Thursday and traveled about halfway around the Earth before it was lost as it re-entered the atmosphere.
At 8:25 a.m. Central time, Starship — the biggest and most powerful rocket ever to fly — lifted off from the coast of South Texas.
The ascent was smooth, with the upper Starship stage reaching orbital velocities.
About 45 minutes after launch, it started re-entering the atmosphere, heading toward a belly-flop splashdown in the Indian Ocean.
Then communications with Starship ended, and SpaceX later said the vehicle had not survived the re-entry.
Persons:
Elon Musk
Organizations:
SpaceX, NASA
Locations:
South Texas