SpaceX CEO Elon Musk posted an image on the X social network showing company employees lifting from the ocean floor part of the first stage of the giant Starship launch vehicle, which was used during the last test flight of the spaceship of the same name. “Like the ruins of a futuristic, long-extinct civilization,” the billionaire wrote in a message accompanying the said photo.
Image source: X
Let us remind you that SpaceX is developing the Starship system for space flights to the Moon, Mars and more distant objects. A huge Super Heavy accelerator is used to launch the Starship into orbit. When assembled, the entire system reaches a height of 122 meters. Both stages are designed to be reusable and are powered by Raptor engines—33 engines on the carrier and six engines on the ship.
To date, Starship has completed four test flights, each launching from SpaceX Starbase in South Texas. The first two test launches took place in April and November 2023, and two more launches took place in March and June 2024. The rocket fragment being pulled out of the ocean by SpaceX employees in the published image was part of the Super Heavy launch vehicle, which launched in June. Despite the fact that the mission was considered successful, the first stage was damaged during splashdown – only 14 Raptor engines can be counted in the image and it is not clear whether SpaceX specialists found the remaining 19 engines.
In parallel, SpaceX is preparing to conduct its fifth test flight. The company announced its readiness to carry out this mission at the end of August, but SpaceX will probably be able to obtain launch permission from the US Federal Aviation Administration no earlier than the end of November. The agency needed additional time to assess the impact of Starship launches on the environment.