It was just another important step on the path to returning to the Moon and bringing humans to Mars. After three failed tests of Starship, the spacecraft that SpaceX intends to use to take astronauts to the Moon in 2026 and to Mars (date still to be determined), the prototype successfully completed the mission.
After an hour and five minutes of orbital flight at an altitude of 160 kilometers, the spacecraft landed under control in the Indian Ocean, west of Australia, surviving re-entry. “Despite the loss of many parts and a damaged wing, the Starship managed to land smoothly in the ocean!” wrote Elon Musk, owner of SpaceX.
The first two tests ended last year with explosions after launch. In the third, carried out in March, the ship made an orbital flight but got lost before the planned sinking.
Together, Starship and the Superheavy propulsion module form the largest and most powerful spacecraft in the world. Its height is 121 meters, diameter is 9 meters, weight is about five thousand tons. In addition to space exploration, the project also includes space tourism.