With Flight 14, SpaceX has reached a new milestone
Starship’s Flight 14 has just ended, and we had the pleasure of seeing another major milestone successfully achieved: orbital flight.
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For the first time, Starship (« Ship 41 ») went all the way around the Earth. It easily reached the required altitude, 247 km, and the required velocity, 26,370 km/h. It splashed down at the planned location in the North Pacific, where cameras were waiting for it.
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The ship from the previous flight, IFT-13, which had ended its journey in excellent condition in the Indian Ocean, was carefully studied, which made it possible to significantly improve the quality of the heat shield.
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A few minor failures were noted. First one, then two engines on the Super Heavy booster shut down before completing their full burn; and one of the three vacuum engines among the ship’s six engines shut down prematurely after separation from the booster. But since the booster returns empty, it can do its job with two fewer engines, and for the ship, the initial impulse had been powerful enough for the flight to continue. The splashdown was less « soft » than the previous one (IFT-13), and the residual propellants caught fire, but the ship did not explode and settled gently onto its side in the water.
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As the broadcast host said, it has been only 18 years since Falcon 1 made its first successful flight. That’s amazing! We look forward to what comes next!
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For illustration, I chose a beautifull view of the Raptor motors of the ship after the launcher departed.
