SpaceX Starship integrated flight test 2
On November 18, 2023, SpaceX performed the second integrated flight test of its Starship launch vehicle. The mission's primary objectives were for the vehicle to hot stage—a new addition to Starship's flight profile—followed by the second stage attaining a near-orbital trajectory with a controlled reentry over the Pacific Ocean, while the booster does a boostback burn with a propulsive splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico.
Starship vehicle in flight during IFT-2 | |
| Mission type | Flight test |
|---|---|
| Operator | SpaceX |
| Mission duration | ~8 minutes, 06 seconds (achieved) 90 minutes (planned) |
| Orbits completed | <1 (planned) Not achieved |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Spacecraft | Starship S25, Super Heavy B9 |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | November 18, 2023, 13:02:50 UTC |
| Rocket | Starship |
| Launch site | Starbase |
| Contractor | SpaceX |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Regime | Transatmospheric Earth orbit (planned) |
| Periapsis altitude | 50 km (31 mi) (planned) −1,750 km (−1,090 mi) (reached) |
| Apoapsis altitude | 250 km (160 mi) (planned) 149 km (93 mi) (reached) |
| Inclination | 26.5° |
SpaceX Starship flights | |
The vehicle successfully lifted off under the power of all 33 Raptor engines on the Super Heavy Booster and made it through stage separation. The booster was planned to land on the Gulf of Mexico, however for currently unconfirmed reasons the booster exploded during its boostback burn. The Starship second stage continued to accelerate for over 8 minutes, reaching an altitude of 149 km (93 mi). Towards the end of the second stage burn the Ship vented excess liquid oxygen, resulting in a fire and loss of the vehicle.
The Federal Aviation Administration issued a statement confirming that an anomaly had occurred and that there were no reports of public property damage or injuries. The FCC considered the launch as a failure and used this as a rationale for rejecting SpaceX Starlink as eligible for large US rural broadband internet subsidies. Shortly after the launch, SpaceX made a statement on their website saying that "success comes from what we learn" from a "test like this".