It was a one-step-forward, one-step-back kind of day for SpaceX.
Starship lifted off from the Boca Chica launch mount at 5:37 p.m.
ET, soaring into a clear blue Texas sky.
Starship’s Super Heavy booster moments before its landing at the Boca Chica launch tower, nicknamed “Mechazilla.“© SpaceX
The 403-foot-tall (123-meter) rocket initiated hot staging and booster engine cutoff shortly before the three-minute mark.
The booster then began its descent back to Earth, while the upper stage continued its journey into space.
The Mechazilla launch tower, equipped with its chopstick-like arms, successfully caught the incoming booster.
Starship launching on its seventh test flight. © SpaceX
The upper stage used for this missionthe seventh Starship flight testfeatured an upgraded design.
Its the first upper stage failure since the programs early days of fully integrated Starship tests.
Its what SpaceX doestreating failures as incremental stepping stones toward eventual success.
Starship experienced a rapid unscheduled disassembly during its ascent burn.
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