spacetoday.net: Starship makes first high-altitude test flight

Posted: Fri, Dec 18, 2020, 6:17 PM ET (2317 GMT)
Starship SN8 test flight (SpaceX)

SpaceX's Starship vehicle soared to new heights on a test flight that had an explosive ending. The Starship SN8 prototype lifted off from SpaceX's Boca Chica, Texas, test site at 5:45 p.m. Eastern Wednesday. The vehicle ascended for several minutes then, after shutting down its engines, performed a "belly flop" maneuver to descend back to the launch site. The vehicle reignited its engine and moved back to the vertical to attempt a powered landing, but came in too fast and exploded upon landing. Despite the fiery demise of the vehicle, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk declared the flight a success, saying it demonstrated many aspects of the vehicle's unique design. Another Starship prototype, SN9, could be ready for test flights within a few weeks.