Read more at source.
Read more at source.
The Super Heavy booster descended into the launch tower's 'chopstick arms', allowing it to grab the booster. This marks the second time that SpaceX has successfully caught the Super Heavy booster, showcasing the company's progress in developing reusable rocket technology. The Super Heavy booster used in this test was also the first one to reuse a Raptor engine from a previous flight test.
Despite the successful catch of the Super Heavy booster, SpaceX lost communication with the Starship spacecraft during its ascent phase. A couple of the engines dropped out, and shortly thereafter, communication with the vehicle was lost. SpaceX is currently assuming that the ship has been lost.
The Starship experienced a rapid unscheduled disassembly during its ascent burn. Witnesses on the islands of Turks and Caicos reported seeing the Starship's re-entry debris and posted videos of it on social media. SpaceX is still analyzing the data to determine the cause of this event.
This version of Starship featured major improvements to reliability and performance, making the vehicle slightly taller. It also featured a redesigned propulsion system, an improved flight computer, and a new heat shield with multiple metallic tile options, including one with active cooling to test alternative materials and a backup layer to protect from missing or damaged tiles.
Despite the successful catch of the Super Heavy booster, SpaceX lost communication with the Starship spacecraft during its ascent phase. A couple of the engines dropped out, and shortly thereafter, communication with the vehicle was lost. SpaceX is currently assuming that the ship has been lost.
