NEXT SPACEFLIGHT

Status

Suborbital
Partial Failure

Starship Flight Test 2

Launch Time
Sat Nov 18, 2023 13:02 UTC

Second integrated launch of Starship and Super Heavy.

Flight termination system activated on Starship after T+8 minutes, seconds before planned SECO, due to a leak of liquid oxygen causing a combustion event and fires which led to a loss of communication. Booster was most likely destroyed due to a filter blockage on a liquid oxygen line supplying the engines.

Watch | Article

Rocket

Starship-Super Heavy Block 1
Image Credit: SpaceX
SpaceX
Status: Retired
Liftoff Thrust: 74,400 kN
Stages: 2
Strap-ons: 0
Rocket Height: 121.3 m
Fairing Diameter: 9.0 m

Vehicles

Expendable

Ship 25

Flight #1
Splashdown

Booster 9

Flight #1

Mission Details

Starship Flight Test 2

Starship attempted another flight test to demonstrate orbital launch capability.

Numerous upgrades flew on this mission's vehicles. Specifically, the booster featured electric thrust vector control and stronger shielding between engines. A new hot staging ring was also incorporated at the top of the booster and a new and much improved fire suppression system for the engine bay was also installed.

The launchpad was also upgraded for this flight with a flame deflector system to avoid the issues found on the first flight test of the Starship stack with Booster 7 and Ship 24.

Suborbital

Location

Orbital Launch Pad A, Starbase, Texas, USA

Stats

Starship

2nd mission
2nd mission of 2023