Watch: SpaceX's Starship enters space on third test flight, lost on re-entry

Brandi D. Addison, USA TODAY NETWORK
Updated ·2 min read
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With millions of online viewers watching, SpaceX achieved initial success on the third flight test of its most powerful rocket, following two failed attempts last year, but lost contact with the vehicle over the Indian Ocean upon reentry.

The Starship launched at approximately 8:25 a.m. Central Time from Starbase, the company's spaceport located in Boca Chica. Situated along the Gulf of Mexico, this beach town is approximately 20 miles from the border.

Throughout the livestream, which aired on the SpaceX website and on X (formerly Twitter), SpaceX employees cheered and clapped with excitement, praising the journey as "phenomenal" as it entered space and continued its flight for more than 45 minutes.

Despite the eventual outcome, the SpaceX team still deemed the test flight a success as it surpassed the achievements of previous tests.

More: SpaceX is launching a Starship test flight in Texas. Two failed attempts ignite concern

Watch: SpaceX Starship launch live stream

More: Elon Musk plans $100 million expansion to SpaceX Starbase office in Brownsville

What went wrong with the two previous SpaceX launches in Texas?

SpaceX launched the first Starship test flight in April, but the vehicle encountered issues only 24 miles above the Gulf of Mexico when leaking propellant caused a fire in the Super Heavy booster, according to a story in Florida Today. This caused SpaceX to lose communication and control of the vehicle, but the Autonomous Flight Safety System took over and it detonated in less than four minutes.

In late July, debris from an April mission was still scattered near the Starship launch tower at SpaceX's Starbase. The company is awaiting final approvals from the Federal Aviation Administration for its next flight.
In late July, debris from an April mission was still scattered near the Starship launch tower at SpaceX's Starbase. The company is awaiting final approvals from the Federal Aviation Administration for its next flight.

In November, the Starship took flight again, reaching space for the first time, according to the SpaceX website. However, it encountered issues with the liquid oxygen supply during the flight, resulting in the failure of one engine and causing the vehicle to ignite into flames.

According to the SpaceX website, the failure was “determined to be filter blockage where liquid oxygen is supplied to the engines, leading to a loss of inlet pressure in engine oxidizer pumps that eventually resulted in one engine failing in a way that resulted in the loss of the vehicle."

This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Watch SpaceX launch: Third Starship test flight from Texas is a success