Lift-Off!
SpaceX has successfully flown its massive SN5 Starship prototype at its Boca Chica, Texas testing grounds to a planned height of 150 meters, or roughly 500 feet.
“Mars is looking real,” SpaceX CEO Elon Musk tweeted in response to the news.
And it was quite the sight — a livestream showed the gigantic cylindrical stainless steel structure float up into the air, leaving a massive dust cloud behind. It then smoothly made its return journey downward.
“This looks simultaneously cool as hell and fucking ridiculous,” tweeted Ars Technica senior space reporter Eric Berger.
LAUNCH! Starship SN5 has launched on a 150 meter test hop at SpaceX Boca Chica.
Under the power of Raptor SN27, SN5 has conducted what looks like a successful flight!
Listen to the SpaceXers cheer!
Mary (@BocaChicaGal) filming history!
Livestream: https://t.co/rUNxATy7VJ pic.twitter.com/p5UTRFd0gI
— Chris B – NSF (@NASASpaceflight) August 4, 2020
A Major Milestone
It’s a big milestone in SpaceX’s efforts to build a rocket capable of ferrying up to 100 passengers (or 100 tons of cargo) to the Moon and even Mars.
The massive fuel tank, the company’s sixth full-scale testing prototype, lifted off the ground, with only one of the company’s next-generation Raptor rocket engines roaring below.
Just so we’re clear, SpaceX built a Mars rocket out of rolls of steel, in tents, in South Texas, in weeks. And the first time they flew it, it made a smooth launch, a controlled flight, and safely landed. This is truly remarkable.
— Eric Berger (@SciGuySpace) August 5, 2020
Despite today’s success, the SpaceX team still has a long way to go. The final version is designed to hold six Raptor…