SpaceX’s Major Test Flight with Starship Sets Moon Mission in Motion

SpaceX launched its most powerful Starship to date on a test flight. NASA plans to use this upgraded rocket for moon landings with astronauts. The flight occurred two days after SpaceX CEO Elon Musk announced he will take the company public.

The Starship took off from Texas, carrying 20 mock Starlink satellites. These were released during the flight, which covered half the globe’s circumference. Despite engine issues, the spacecraft reached the Indian Ocean, where it erupted in flames upon impact, as expected by SpaceX.

Musk praised the launch and landing as epic, encouraging his team by saying, “You scored a goal for humanity.” This marked the 12th test flight for the rocket, which Musk envisions for future Martian missions. NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman attended the launch, endorsing Starship as closer to helping NASA’s Artemis program achieve moon landings.

The previous version of the Starship lifted off in October. SpaceX’s new third-generation Starship, called V3, launched from a new pad at Starbase near the Mexican border. Attempts to launch it were previous thwarted by pad issues.

SpaceX aimed to avoid last year’s mid-air explosions during launches over the Atlantic. Unlike earlier attempts, this flight did not see explosions until the end when the spacecraft toppled over and ignited upon landing.

While not all engines fired correctly, the spacecraft maintained control throughout most of its journey. Cameras equipped on modified Starlink satellites provided images of the flight, marking a significant milestone for SpaceX.

The new Starship stands taller at 407 feet (124 meters) and boasts more engine thrust. The booster to steer it has fewer but stronger grid fins. A larger fuel transfer line, the size of SpaceX’s Falcon 9 booster, feeds its 33 engines. Enhanced features include more cameras, navigation, computer power, and docking cones for future missions.

Though designed to be reusable with launch pad arms to catch rocket stages, this test did not involve recovery. The Gulf of Mexico was the landing site for the booster, while the spacecraft ended in the Indian Ocean.

NASA is investing billions in both SpaceX and Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin for lunar landers. Companies are vying to be first in readying moon missions. SpaceX’s Starship has flown to space but only for short durations when compared to Blue Moon’s pending prototype moonshot later this year.

The upcoming Artemis III mission features astronauts docking their capsule with either Starship or Blue Moon during an Earth orbit test next year. Possible moon landings could occur by 2028 if Starship or Blue Moon is ready and proven safe. It would be NASA’s first lunar crew landing since the Apollo 17 mission in 1972.

SpaceX is taking bookings for private moon and Mars flights on Starship. Dennis Tito, the California businessman known for his space tourism, signed up for a moon journey years ago with timing yet uncertain.

This week, Chinese-born bitcoin investor Chun Wang announced his plans to join Starship’s first mission to Mars. Having previously chartered SpaceX for polar orbit flights, he did not disclose a price or date for his Mars trip.

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The Associated Press Health and Science Department is supported by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. AP content is independent.