A view of SpaceX Starship from Texas State Highway 48, the world’s largest and most powerful rocket, successfully launches from Starbase, Texas near Boca Chica Beach Thursday morning, March 14, 2024, which successfully reached orbit during its third flight. (Miguel Roberts | The Brownsville Herald)
Updated at 9:49 a.m.
BOCA CHICA — Starship S28 and Super Heavy B10 lifted off from Boca Chica at 8:25 a.m. Thursday for SpaceX’s third Starship orbital flight attempt, after being granted permission by the Federal Aviation Administration on Wednesday afternoon, and loaded with more than 10 million pounds of propellant in both stages.
Although the Super Heavy booster was destroyed before the planned landing the Gulf of Mexico, the stage-two Starship had attained orbit and was on its way to a planned landing in the Indian Ocean as of 8:45 a.m.
At 9:31 a.m. SpaceX made the call that Starship was lost at some point during reentry after contact was lost, meaning there was no splashdown Thursday.
The Super Heavy booster was destroyed after a successful separation from Starship and just before starting the landing burn.
They had planned for a soft landing in the Gulf. SpaceX was founded on this day in 2002.
SpaceX launched its Starship from its Boca Chica base on the morning of Thursday, March 14, 2024. (SpaceX screengrab)SpaceX launched its Starship from its Boca Chica base on the morning of Thursday, March 14, 2024. (SpaceX screengrab)SpaceX launched its Starship from its Boca Chica base on the morning of Thursday, March 14, 2024. (SpaceX screengrab)SpaceX launched its Starship from its Boca Chica base on the morning of Thursday, March 14, 2024. (SpaceX screengrab)SpaceX launched its Starship from its Boca Chica base on the morning of Thursday, March 14, 2024. (SpaceX screengrab)Hundreds of spectators view SpaceX Starship, the world’s largest and most powerful rocket launch from Starbase, Texas near Boca Chica Beach Thursday morning, March 14, 2024, along Texas State Highway 48. (Miguel Roberts | The Brownsville Herald)
