Technical Glitch Prompts SpaceX to Call Off Starship Booster Recovery
SpaceX called off the recovery of its giant Starship rocket booster on Friday following a technical issue, diverting it to splash down in the Gulf of Mexico.
- The recovery of the Starship first stage was aborted due to a technical glitch, causing it to splash down in the Gulf of Mexico.
- The upper spacecraft continued its trajectory into space, with a potential unprecedented recovery attempt anticipated for Saturday.
- The rocket launched on its 15th test flight at 23:47 Paris time.
Billionaire Elon Musk's SpaceX on Friday aborted its attempt to recover the first stage of its giant Starship rocket, following the detection of a technical issue that prevented the completion of the complex maneuver.
Splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico
Due to the technical fault, the massive booster's maneuver ended with a splashdown in the waters of the Gulf of Mexico instead of being caught at the launch tower. The company had previously emphasized decisively that it would only carry out such high-risk, ultra-precise maneuvers if all technical indicators were completely positive and fully green.
Continuing the Journey into Space
Meanwhile, the rocket's upper stage—the spacecraft itself—successfully continued its trajectory into space; it is expected to be recovered on Saturday, which, if successful, would mark an unprecedented, first-of-its-kind achievement in the history of the test flights.
Starship, the largest and most powerful rocket in the history of the space industry, lifted off at 16:47 local time (22:47 GMT, corresponding to exactly 23:47 Paris time) as part of its 15th test flight.
Source: Le Figaro
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