SpaceX launched the second integrated test flight of their largest and most powerful rocket Starship on November 19, 2023. While the launch vehicle exploded within minutes after launch, it was not a complete failure, but a partial success. This is because Starship reached space by climbing to an altitude of about 150 kilometres (Karman line, from which space begins, has an altitude of 100 kilometres above Earth).
Also, Starship successfully powered all 33 Raptor engines on the Super Heavy Booster, and had a successful stage separation, according to SpaceX.
The fully integrated Starship spacecraft and Super Heavy rocket are together called Starship. Starship is not only the largest launch vehicle of Elon Musk's aerospace firm, but also the largest and most powerful rocket in the world.
SpaceX launched Starship's first orbital test flight on April 20, 2023, from Starbase in Texas. However, Starship exploded a few minutes after launch.
During the first integrated test flight, Starship experienced a rapid unscheduled disassembly before stage separation, according to SpaceX.
However, as part of the second integrated test flight, a successful stage separation occurred.
This means that SpaceX rectified a lot of mistakes that resulted in the explosion of Starship during the first test flight.
While during the first test flight, the Super Heavy booster experienced a rapid unscheduled disassembly before stage separation, as part of the second test flight, the booster experienced a rapid unscheduled disassembly shortly after stage separation. However, Starship's engines fired for several minutes while the spacecraft was on its way to space.
SpaceX said that the second integrated test flight will help the aerospace firm improve Starship's reliability as the company aims to make life multiplanetary.
The Starship system represents a fully reusable transportation system designed to carry both crew and cargo to Earth orbit, the Moon, Mars, and beyond.