SpaceX has successfully launched the Starship spacecraft into space after its 3rd attempt

After the 3rd attempt, the American company SpaceX successfully launched the Starship spacecraft from the OLP-1 Starbase in Texas today. The first stage successfully disengaged and returned to base, and the second stage continued its flight.

The goal of the flight is to get the spacecraft into a designed orbital trajectory. It is also planned to demonstrate the operation of the cargo door, the fuel transfer system, the restart of the Raptor engine in space.

This time, it is planned that the upper stage of the Starship will land in the Indian Ocean, and not in the territory of Hawaii. This will be the 12th flight test of the Starship development program.

Starship's previous launch occurred on November 18, 2023, when the Super Heavy rocket exploded in the Gulf of Mexico after one of its 33 Raptor engines failed following stage separation. According to the results of the incident investigation, 17 violations were found. In early March, SpaceX announced that the necessary changes had already been made.