12.5 km Flight
Starship SN8
SpaceX
Rocket Launch Videos
Mission
12.5 km Flight
- Type: Test Flight
- Orbit: Suborbital
The SN8 Starship prototype was destroyed when attempting to land after a first flight to an altitude of 12.5 km or 41,000 ft.
Test completed set out objectives, but the vehicle failed to land successfully due to low pressure in the propellant header tanks cutting out the engines.
Location
Suborbital Pad A
SpaceX Starbase, TX, USA
Suborbital Pad A has witnessed the launch of 7 rockets, including 0 orbital launch attempts. While SpaceX Starbase, TX, USA, has been the site for 18 rocket launches.
Starbase is an industrial complex for Starship rockets and the headquarters of the American aerospace manufacturer company SpaceX. Located near Brownsville, Texas, United States, it has been under construction since the late 2010s by SpaceX. Starbase is composed of a spaceport near the Gulf of Mexico, a production facility at the Boca Chica village, and a small structure test site along the Texas State Highway 4.
Rocket
SpaceX Starship Prototype
Prototype of SpaceX's Starship, a fully reusable second stage and space vehicle.
Landing
Core SN8
SN8 was destroyed when attempting to land back near its launch site after its first flight. Booster SN8 last launched 12/09/2020 and has seen 0 successful launches and landings. SN8 was destroyed when attempting to land after its first flight due to low header tank pressure during landing burn.
A sonic boom is likely to occur a few minutes after launch as the booster returns to the launch site. Be prepared for a loud but thrilling experience! Learn more about rocket launch sonic booms
SpaceX Starship Landing Pad - LZ
This is the landing pad used for early Starship development flights.
Return to Launch Site - RTLS
A return to launch site usually means that after stage separation the booster flips and does a burn back towards the launch site, landing near where it initially launched from.
Agency
SpaceX
Space Exploration Technologies Corp., known as SpaceX, is an American aerospace manufacturer and space transport services company headquartered in Hawthorne, California. It was founded in 2002 by entrepreneur Elon Musk with the goal of reducing space transportation costs and enabling the colonization of Mars. SpaceX operates from many pads, on the East Coast of the US they operate from SLC-40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and historic LC-39A at Kennedy Space Center. They also operate from SLC-4E at Vandenberg Space Force Base, California, usually for polar launches. Another launch site is being developed at Boca Chica, Texas.
