<\/p>\n
SpaceX\u2019s Starship spacecraft splashed down into the Indian Ocean on Friday after the company performed a mostly successful test flight of the latest version of its enormous rocket.<\/p>\n
The voyage was not without a few glitches, but SpaceX employees shown on a livestream roared in delight following the trial flight that comes as the firm owned by Elon Musk prepares a potentially record initial public offering.<\/p>\n \n <\/a>\n <\/p><\/blockquote>\n <\/span><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n The mammoth rocket blasted off into space at just after 5:30pm local time (2230 GMT).<\/p>\n The company did not intend to recover the booster or the upper stage, and the final splashdown was fiery but controlled, as planned.<\/p>\n \u201cSplashdown confirmed!\u201d the company wrote on X.<\/p>\n \n <\/a>\n <\/p><\/blockquote>\n <\/span><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n SpaceX primarily aimed to demonstrate its redesigns in flight.<\/p>\n The third-generation Starship spacecraft carried out a maneuver that saw it flip upright and reignite its engines for control, despite one being out of commission.<\/p>\n It also deployed its 22 mock satellites, including two that attempted to photograph the spacecraft\u2019s heat shield for analysis.<\/p>\n The vehicle had coasted through space but was not in exactly the correct orbit after one of its engines malfunctioned during an initial burn.<\/p>\n \u201cI wouldn\u2019t call it nominal orbital insertion,\u201d company spokesperson Dan Huot said, adding however, that it was \u201cwithin bounds\u201d of a previously analyzed trajectory.<\/p>\n After the Super Heavy booster separated from the upper stage as expected, Huot said on the livestream that the booster failed to complete its so-called boost-back burn.<\/p>\n The booster fell swiftly back to Earth, uncontrolled, into the Gulf of Mexico. SpaceX wasn\u2019t planning to retrieve the booster anyway, but was still hoping for a precision return.<\/p>\n Musk applauded his team on X, calling the flight \u201cepic\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cYou scored a goal for humanity,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \n <\/a>\n <\/p><\/blockquote>\n <\/span><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n Friday\u2019s flight followed an aborted trial one day prior.<\/p>\n The countdown clock stopped and started until it was determined that the last-minute red flags could not be addressed in time.<\/p>\n Musk quickly posted on X that \u201cthe hydraulic pin holding the tower arm in place did not retract\u201d. SpaceX said that issue was corrected overnight.<\/p>\n<\/a>\u2018Long way to go\u2019<\/h2>\n