re: SpaceX Starship Test Flight #14 | Made 2 Orbits before Successful Splashdown

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They detonated it.

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It destructed on landing, doubt they activated the flight termination system after what ship 40 did.

Elon Musk

Overall... a very successful flight

Made it to orbit on the 1st attempt to actually go orbital

Now officially an orbital class vehicle

Put working satellites into space... so it's now a revenue-generating vehicle as well

Both parts of the vehicle seemed to have successful landing burns


MAYBE we can think of a booster catch attempt in flight 15... if not catch BOTH vehicles?

There are 4 options for landing in flight 15 and all 4 seem viable/possible

1) dump both in water again (more data more better before risking launch tower)

2) catch ship/dump booster (booster had 2 engines go out today but seemed able to compensate)

3) catch booster/dump ship (ship also had an engine out but was able to compensate & get to orbit... b/c of that engine out only did 2 of its 9 planned orbits but safely splashed down at back-up landing zone)

4) catch both (both had successful landing burns despite their issues... why not go for broke?)

So why are they still having engine failures?
---That's what testing is all about

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Absolutely. Just kinda surprised this far in still having problems

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This is only the 3rd flight for V3.

"SpaceX Starship explodes after first orbital trip"

As expected this was the headline of the first new story I saw about the launch today.

These motherfrickers don't miss a trick do they.