Elon Musk’s space company successfully launched the Starship rocket, the largest rocket ever, and returned it to Earth. According to Rob van den Berg from the Sonnenburg Observatory in Utrecht, the intention is for this ship to take people to the moon in 2026, although he describes this timing as ambitious.
SpaceX has sent the largest rocket ever into space
In a previous test, something went wrong when the spacecraft exploded while returning through the atmosphere to Earth. This time things went well, except for some minor damage. “Despite missing several parts and a damaged cover, the spacecraft was able to land smoothly in the ocean!” Musk said on Show X.
“It will happen this decade that people will walk on the moon. They will then land a spacecraft from SpaceX.
Van den Berg also describes it as a great success. “Such a return through the atmosphere at high speeds is a very difficult moment, because the heat is enormous,” he says. “It went perfectly well, except for one small detail.”
It ended up at sea as planned
The rocket, the largest ever sent into space, then ended up in the Indian Ocean. This was exactly how it was planned. “The purpose of this launch was to demonstrate the possibility of atmospheric return,” the astronomer says. “Next thing to solve is landing.”
Read also | The spacecraft also exploded on the third test flight, “a very beautiful achievement.”
If all goes according to plan, the spacecraft should take people to the moon in September 2026. “But this is very ambitious,” says van den Berg. “Everyone expects it to be a little later. However, it will still happen this decade that people will walk on the Moon. They will then land on a SpaceX spacecraft.
Competition from Boeing
Earlier this week, Boeing’s Starliner successfully launched into space. Yesterday, the first docking with the International Space Station (ISS) failed. The rocket had to make another orbit around the Earth and succeeded the second time. Astronauts are now safe and sound aboard the International Space Station.
Read also | It struck the third time during a Boeing Starliner launch
Boeing’s mission is also considered a success, after the launch was postponed twice previously. “Starliner should become the second transportation system for astronauts to the International Space Station, in addition to the SpaceX ship,” says van den Berg.
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