10 km Flight
Starship SN9
SpaceX
Mission
10 km Flight
- Type: Test Flight
- Orbit: Suborbital
The SN9 Starship performed a first flight similar to the one of SN8. It launched up to an altitude of 10 km or 33,000 ft, did a belly flop maneuver and a controlled descent to the landing pad where the landing flip maneuver was unsuccessful and resulted in the destruction of the prototype on impact.
Location
Suborbital Pad B
SpaceX Starbase, TX, USA
Suborbital Pad B has witnessed the launch of 2 rockets, including 0 orbital launch attempts, while SpaceX Starbase, TX, USA, has been the site for 13 rocket launches.
Rocket
SpaceX Starship Prototype
Prototype of SpaceX’s Starship, a fully reusable second stage and space vehicle.
Landing
Core SN9
Booster SN9 last launched 02/02/2021 and has seen 0 successful launches and landings. SN9 is the first starship prototype to be fully made of 304L stainless steel. It was destroyed on landing after its first flight.
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.
