SpaceX Starship Splashes Down After 6th Launch; Booster Catch Called Off

Starship Successfully Completes High-Altitude Flight Test

SpaceX's Starship, a fully reusable spacecraft designed for interplanetary travel, successfully completed its sixth high-altitude flight test on Friday, March 11. Launched from Starbase in Texas, the Starship prototype, dubbed SN11, ascended to an altitude of approximately 10 kilometers before performing a controlled descent and splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico.

Booster Catch Attempt Unsuccessful

The launch was initially planned to include an ambitious attempt to catch the Starship's Super Heavy booster using a specialized launch tower. However, the booster's descent did not go as planned, and it crashed into the landing pad upon impact. SpaceX founder Elon Musk explained that the booster's hydraulic system experienced a pressure drop, preventing the grid fins from deploying properly.

Focus on Starship Development

Despite the unsuccessful booster catch, the primary objective of the flight test was to gather data on Starship's performance. The spacecraft successfully performed several maneuvers during its ascent and descent, including a "belly flop" reentry, which is a unique maneuver designed to reduce heat during atmospheric re-entry. SpaceX engineers will analyze the data from the flight to inform future improvements to the Starship design.

Next Steps for SpaceX

SpaceX plans to conduct further Starship flight tests in the coming months. The company is currently working on building a larger and more powerful version of the spacecraft, known as Starship SN15, which is expected to be capable of orbital flight. SpaceX's ultimate goal is to develop Starship for crewed missions to the Moon and Mars.

**Key Findings from the Starship SN11 Flight Test:** * Starship successfully ascended to an altitude of 10 kilometers. * The spacecraft performed a controlled descent and splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico. * The booster catch attempt was unsuccessful due to a hydraulic system failure. * SpaceX will analyze the flight data to inform future improvements to Starship's design.