SpaceX recovered debris from the first stage of Starship from the ocean floor

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.

admin

Share
Published by
admin

Recent Posts

Why aren’t today’s semiconductors good enough for AI?

The smaller the manufacturing standards by which a chip is made, the higher its density…

23 hours ago

Asus Launches Gold ROG Astral RTX 5090 Dhahab Edition Graphics Card — Price Reaches $10,600

Earlier this year, at Nvidia's GTC 2025 conference, Asus showed off what is probably the…

24 hours ago

Legendary Quake Inducted into World Video Game Hall of Fame Along with Pet Simulator Tamogotchi

The International Center for Video Game History at The Strong Museum in New York has…

24 hours ago

MSI Releases New Version of Claw 8 AI+ Gaming Console — White Case and Up to 2TB Storage for $999

At the end of last year, MSI introduced the Claw 8 AI+ and Claw 7…

1 day ago

Apple to Go Beyond in 2027 with Robot, Smart Glasses, and Foldable iPhone Plans

2027 could be one of the most significant years for Apple. The company plans to…

1 day ago

FTC’s ‘One-Click Unsubscribe’ Rule Delayed Again, But Not for Long

The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has delayed a rule that would require companies to…

2 days ago