SpaceX launched its Starship megarocket, the most powerful rocket on Earth, on its second test flight this weekend, and while the vehicle may have met an explosive end, its flight is absolutely astonishing to watch.
Stunning photos and videos from SpaceX, Space.com, news reports and the public show the sheer spectacle of Starship’s second test launch, which SpaceX launched early Saturday (Nov. 18) from its Starbase facility near Boca Chica Beach in South Texas.
In a major milestone for SpaceX, the two stages of the rocket were successfully separated. The Super Heavy booster exploded shortly afterwards, while the Starship’s upper stage detonated before the launch was completed. Still, SpaceX hailed the second test flight, which reached space and flew higher, further and longer than a debut launch in April, as a success and will now study the flight to make any improvements needed for the next launch.
Related: SpaceX Starship is launched during its second test flight, but explodes
“It was incredible to see the Starship launch in person,” Space.com’s Josh Dinner said of the sight.
During the dinner, photos of the spaceship launch were taken from the Cameron Country Amphitheater on South Padre Island, where large numbers of spectators gathered well before sunrise to pick a great spot to watch the launch.
“Even from 5 miles away you could see the sheer power of the engines as they left the launch tower,” Dinner said. “It was extremely impressive.”
Related: NASA chief congratulates SpaceX on explosive second Starship launch test
Photojournalist Timothy A. Clary of the news agencies AFP and Getty Images also captured stunning photos of the Starship launch, including close-ups of the launch and the rocket’s ascent just before phase separation.
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Some of the most amazing early photos came from SpaceX itself, which captured the specific moment of phase separation, testing a hot-staging technique (something new for Starship on this flight) in which Starship’s upper stage fired its engines before he got loose. of the Super Heavy first stage booster.
SpaceX and Dinner also captured some stunning close-ups of the combined Starship and Super Heavy, which together stand nearly 400 feet (122 meters) tall, as they hovered over the Gulf of Mexico.
Shortly after stage separation, the Super Heavy booster exploded in what SpaceX called a “rapid, unplanned disassembly.” The company will now try to understand what led to this failure after the hot staging and how it can be avoided during the next test flight.
On the social media site X, formerly known as Twitter, onlookers and photographers appeared to have excitedly witnessed the Starship’s launch test.
But some of the most telling images came after launch, when photographers were able to visit the launch pad and report that it was in good condition.
During SpaceX’s first launch test on April 20, the Super Heavy booster gouged a huge crater beneath the pad, requiring extensive repairs. For the second flight, SpaceX installed a water flood system and a protective metal plate to protect the cushion.
“The Starbase platform appears to be in good condition after this morning’s Starship launch!” wrote photographer John Kraus about X. “The road to the beach is open.”
Here are some more trail views from photographers.
Among the spectators watching Starship’s second test flight were people who have not only flown in space before, but have actually launched on SpaceX rockets.
Sian Proctor, who launched a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon capsule into orbit in September 2021 on the private Inspiration4 mission funded by billionaire Jared Isaacman, congratulated the entire SpaceX team on the launch.
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“Congratulations to all the people at SpaceX for continuing to make history in humanity’s progress to the moon, Mars and beyond!!” Proctor wrote on X.
SpaceX engineers are now tasked with understanding why the Starship vehicle detonated itself using its flight termination system just before launch was completed. The company has said it will also study Super Heavy’s explosion so that future versions of the vehicle can be returned to Earth for reuse, as it and Starship are designed to do.
“Honestly, it’s such an incredibly successful day, even though we had a quick unplanned disassembly of both the Super Heavy booster and the ship,” SpaceX quality manager Kate Tice said during the live webcast. “That’s great. We have so much data, and that will all help us improve for our next flight.”
NASA has selected SpaceX’s Starship to land astronauts on the moon during the Artemis 3 mission, which the agency hopes to launch by 2025 or 2026. Meanwhile, SpaceX has already sold Starship trips around the moon to commercial customers such as Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa, and hopes to use the vehicle for deep space flights to Mars and other destinations in the solar system.