ISTANBUL – SpaceX successfully launched Starship's second test flight on Saturday.
The US space shuttle and rocket manufacturer conducted the unmanned test flight for its largest rocket, Starship, in the state of Texas.
Starship, a 121-meter (397-foot) long spacecraft with 33 "Raptor Vacuum" engines built for carrying humans and cargo into space, smoothly completed takeoff.
The rocket successfully passed the maximum dynamic pressure threshold, known as MaxQ, but the connection between the core and the rocket was lost in minute eight of the launch.
During the live broadcast, SpaceX announced that the "flight termination system" had been activated, preventing the rocket from deviating from its course.
The goal of the second test flight was for Starship to reach an altitude of 240 kilometers (149 miles) and land in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Hawaii, about 90 minutes after liftoff.
The first test flight of the rocket in April lasted just four minutes, ending with the rocket exploding and falling into the Gulf of Mexico.
Starship will make its first journey into space and secure the title of the world's most powerful rocket if test results are deemed sufficient by officials. (Anadolu)
