SpaceX has released a new video of its thirdStarship rocket prototype landing on March 3.- The video gives a close-up of the engines in action, and shows the SN10 rocket bounce upon landing.
- The Starship SN10 prototype exploded 10 minutes after it landed, but this was left out of the video.
The rocket prototype, called SN10, successfully blasted off from Boca Chica, Texas, on March 3. SN10 landed in one piece, but it exploded 10 minutes later on the landing pad. SpaceX left the explosion out of its new video.
The recap video shows a close-up of the rocket engines in action during the launch and landing. You can see the 16-story test rocket bounce on the landing pad, surrounded by smoke.
You can also see the rocket's legs extending as it comes back down to Earth.
The video also includes a shot from the rocket in orbit.
Watch the full SpaceX Starship video below
In the video description, SpaceX wrote: "Test flights such as SN10's are about improving our understanding and development of a fully reusable transportation system designed to carry both crew and cargo on long-duration interplanetary flights, and help humanity return to the Moon, and travel to Mars and beyond."
It was SpaceX's third test flight of a Starship prototype. The two other prototypes exploded immediately upon landing.
Six days after the launch, Musk tweeted that there were multiple fixes in the works for SN11, the next Starship prototype.
"SN10 engine was low on thrust due (probably) to partial helium ingestion from fuel header tank," he said, adding that the impact of the speed crushed the rocket legs and part of the skirt.
Musk wants to land humans on Mars in 2026 via his Starship rocket, although his timeline has wavered over the past few years. Space experts reckon he can achieve his goal if everything goes perfectly to plan.
The SpaceX CEO on Wednesday posted on Twitter that SpaceX was close to launching SN11.
-Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 17, 2021