Donald Trump watches SpaceX launch with Elon Musk, but test flight does not go as planned
SpaceX, led by Elon Musk, recently conducted another launch of its Starship rocket in the presence of President-elect Donald Trump. However, the test flight faced some challenges and didn't go entirely as planned.
The towering rocket system, standing at 400 feet (122 meters), is built to transport astronauts to the moon and take crews to Mars. It launched from Boca Chica, Texas.
In its initial phase, known as Super Heavy, the rocket unexpectedly landed in the Gulf of Mexico instead of trying to return to its launch site, suggesting that something did not go as planned.
Mr. Trump's appearance indicates a strengthening partnership with Mr. Musk, who stands to gain from his recent electoral win.
The billionaire business owner is likely to gain positive support from the government, which will benefit both SpaceX and Tesla, assisting his businesses.
Mr. Trump has named Mr. Musk as a co-leader for a new initiative aimed at improving government efficiency.
Once it detached from the second stage of the Starship, the booster made its way back to Boca Chica, Texas. There, it was intended to be captured and secured using a tool that the company refers to as "chopsticks."
You could say that they resemble enormous claws attached to a towering steel structure.
Musk and Trump's friendship seems to still be going strong, but could it all come crashing down?
The booster catch didn't happen.
However, the booster detachment was canceled just four minutes into the test flight, and the booster fell into the water three minutes afterward.
"We're not moving forward with the tower catch," SpaceX announced, noting that the 'requirements' were not satisfied, but the company did not clarify what the specific issue was.
About an hour later, the Starship rocket made a landing in the Indian Ocean, just off the northern coast of Australia.
It came down in a flat position before its main engines turned it over.
Analysis: This result is not what anyone was hoping for.
Science and Technology Editor
Elon Musk is likely to feel quite let down by the unsuccessful attempt to catch the booster, especially with Donald Trump looking on.
This was their chance to demonstrate their skills in efficiency and reusability, along with the quick recovery approach that Donald Trump aims for in his administration.
Donald Trump prefers to distance himself from anything that doesn't appear successful or impressive.
Instead, Trump sought to align himself with Musk's success, but that hasn't materialized.
This flight test was coupled with a significant political event, and I believe the result was not what any of the involved parties had hoped for.
Taking a step closer to a journey to the moon
This marked the sixth trial for the largest and most potent rocket in the world, which SpaceX and NASA aim to deploy for sending astronauts back to the moon and eventually to Mars.
The goals of the test included starting one of the engines while in space and conducting thermal protection experiments on the spacecraft.
SpaceX aims to eventually retrieve and reuse the entire Starship, as complete recycling would significantly lower the expenses involved in transporting cargo and passengers into space.
NASA is giving SpaceX over $4 billion (£3.1 billion) to send astronauts to the moon using Starship, with plans for consecutive missions later in the decade.
