It was 50% success today as SpaceX's Starship 7 mission lifted off from Boca Chica, Texas at 4:36 pm CST and ended with the second capture landing of the giant Super Heavy first stage and the unexplained loss of the Starship second stage.
Today's launch was the latest in a series of test flights of the largest rocket in the world with the emphasis this time on flying a new generation of the Starship second stage as well as multiple experiments and the deployment of dummy payloads. Alterations to Starship (also called The Ship) included smaller and repositioned forward flaps to keep them clear of the heat shield, a simplified flap control mechanism, and a redesigned propulsion system that allows for 25% more fuel by volume. In addition, there were new feedlines for the Raptor engines and tiles for the heat shield, plus upgraded avionics.
The original idea was to test the new systems as well as procedures for landing and reusing Starship, as well as high-definition video links and telemetry for monitoring flight operations, and the relighting of one of the cluster of Raptor engines to test deorbit and return procedures. As with previous flights, the end was intended to be a soft landing in the Indian Ocean.
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The lift off from SpaceX's Starbase complex went off without a major mishap, and the first and second stages separated as expected. The Super Heavy booster carried out a return burn and made a powered descent to the launch tower with the stage being captured by the giant steel 'chopsticks' six minutes and 55 seconds into the flight.
However, that's when things went wrong. At eight minutes and 30 seconds, all contact was lost with the Starship second stage. At first, Mission Control suspected a simple communications foul-up, but the continued loss of all contact resulted in the conclusion that there was a major malfunction and the vehicle had been lost.
In a statement during a live broadcast, SpaceX emphasized that the mission was a test flight and that the second capture was a major plus, thanks to the new capture Go/No Go procedures that gave the green light for the final approach.
The cause of the loss of Starship has yet to be determined.
Source: SpaceX
