The third test flight of Starship on March 14 marked a huge victory for SpaceX, with the experimental rocket hitting a number of key milestones. The unplanned loss of both stages triggered a Federal Aviation Administration investigation, but neither the FAA nor SpaceX anticipate the lengthy delays experienced after…
Stratolaunch flew its Talon-A hypersonic vehicle for the first time after dropping it out of the belly of Roc, an utterly massive aircraft with a 385-foot wingspan. Meanwhile, SpaceX flew its Starship for the third time in a test that pushed the limits of the megarocket. Catch up on these and other top science stories…
Starship flew faster and longer than ever before on Thursday, but with both stages lost during the mission, there’s clearly much more progress to be made. Here’s our detailed breakdown of Integrated Flight Test 3 and what happens next.
The time has come for Starship to embark on its third test flight, during which the megarocket will once again be pushed to its limits and demonstrate advances made since the previous flight last November.
For the first time since the program began more than 10 years ago, SpaceX’s Starship actually feels like a real rocket. During today’s test, the megarocket achieved some notable objectives, including an extended flight in outer space.
SpaceX works under an iterative testing philosophy, using each mission to improve upon the next. Accordingly, the Elon Musk-led company is aiming to push its experimental megarocket, Starship, even further during its third test flight, which could happen later this week.
In our top science stories this week, data from NASA’s Juno spacecraft helped scientists calculate how much oxygen is being produced on the intriguing Jovian moon Europa (enough for a million humans to breathe a day, according to the study). Back on Earth, a German man got 217 covid-19 shots and is apparently doing…
Jupiter’s icy moon Europa produces plenty of oxygen every day, according to new findings based on data from NASA’s Juno spacecraft. The moon has long been of interest to astrobiologists because of the possibility that life could exist in its subsurface ocean. - Isaac Schultz Read More
SpaceX teased a tentative date for the third launch of its Starship rocket. The company posted a link on X for viewing Starship’s third flight test next week after having completed a wet dress rehearsal for its massive rocket on Sunday night.
The Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission authorized a land swap deal with SpaceX, granting Elon Musk’s rocket company 43 acres of land that were heavily sought after as part of conservation efforts in the area.
