23 Starlink Satellites and Starship’s Successful Test

In a groundbreaking mission on November 18 at 12:05 a.m. ET, Falcon 9 propelled 23 Starlink satellites into low-Earth orbit from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. This event marks the 11th flight for the first-stage booster, a veteran of significant missions including CRS-24, Eutelsat HOTBIRD 13F, OneWeb 1, SES-18, and SES-19, as well as seven Starlink missions.

Simultaneously, Starship initiated integrated flight testing with its second launch from Starbase in Texas. While not in a controlled environment, this was undoubtedly a critical test, providing crucial data for the ongoing rapid development of Starship.

Starship’s ascent, powered by all 33 Raptor engines on the Super Heavy Booster, resulted in a successful stage separation. Following separation, the booster underwent rapid unscheduled disassembly after the boostback burn, while Starship’s 6 second-stage Raptor engines propelled the ship to an altitude of approximately 150 kilometers.

In such tests, success lies in the insights gained. This test contributes significantly to enhancing Starship’s reliability, aligning with SpaceX’s vision of making life multiplanetary.

SpaceX extends gratitude to customers, Cameron County, and the broader community for their continued support. Congratulations to the entire SpaceX team on the thrilling success of Starship’s second flight test!

Source: SpaceX