Elon Musk’s SpaceX is gearing up for the third launch of its massive Starship rocket on 14 March, following two failed missions. What will the company be hoping for and what can we expect?
SpaceX is launching its massive Starship rocket for the third time on 14 March, following two failed missions. Here is everything you need to know about it.is the most powerful rocket ever built. It is 121 metres long and its reusable booster can land safely after taking the second stage to an altitude of more than 70 kilometres. That second stage is also reusable, which is intended to make Starship an affordable, reliable vehicle capable of quickly turning around and relaunching.
This launch will follow a new trajectory that will see Starship – the second stage – splashdown in the Indian Ocean. While it is designed to be a reusable craft, this mission aims to have it make a slow and controlled landing on the ocean rather than on land or a ship. This is easier and safer at this stage of development.
There have been two Starship launches, both ending in failures, although that is an expected part of SpaceX’s fail fast, learn fast strategy.on 20 April last year saw three engines on the first stage – from a total of 33 – fail to ignite. Several more subsequently failed during the flight. The rocket then lost the ability to vector the engines and span out of control, causing the self-destruct safeguard to kick in; something that SpaceX sardonically calls a rapid unscheduled disassembly .
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