The unmanned aircraft took off from Texas on Friday after 17:30 local time. The mission ended about an hour later, when the Starship landed in the Indian Ocean and exploded, as planned as part of the test.
Splashdown confirmed! Congratulations to the entire SpaceX team on the twelfth flight test of Starship! pic.twitter.com/XXBAtryPpL
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) May 22, 2026
After the launch, Musk congratulated the SpaceX team on the X social network, calling the mission “a great success for humanity.”
Although most of the main objectives were achieved, there were also problems during the flight. The first launch attempt on Thursday was canceled due to a faulty hydraulic system on the launch pad. After liftoff, the rocket thruster failed to complete re-ignition, and one of the Starship’s engines shut down, forcing the rest of the engines to run longer to compensate for the failure.
According to SpaceX representative Dan Huot, the spacecraft did not enter the fully planned orbit, but remained within safe flight limits.
NASA administrator Jared Isaacman also supported the mission, saying that this is “a step closer to the Moon and Mars.”
During the flight, Starship successfully launched 20 test Starlink satellites, as well as two heat shield tracking and analysis satellites during their descent to Earth.
Liftoff of Starship! pic.twitter.com/LQLdjK5V6K
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) May 22, 2026
This was the 12th test flight of SpaceX’s rocket, and a new version of the 124-meter-tall Starship was presented. The launch comes ahead of SpaceX’s possible IPO, which could be one of the largest initial public offerings in Wall Street history.
(Vijesti.ba)
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