Stunning photos of Earth captured from space by Elon Musk’s spacecraft | Top Vip News

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Stunning photos of Earth captured from space by Elon Musk's starship

New Delhi:

Elon Musk and SpaceX have shared stunning images of Earth captured by Space X’s Starship as it completed its first successful flight through space on Thursday, in what was its third attempt. The Starship, which is the world’s most powerful rocket, achieved its furthest and fastest flight during this test launch, although it was lost upon re-entering Earth’s atmosphere over the Indian Ocean, according to SpaceX.

High-definition images from an onboard camera showed the Starship in space, showing the curve of the Earth in the background as it rose at speeds exceeding 26,000 kilometers per hour.

“It’s amazing that this is a real image,” SpaceX CEO Elon Musk tweeted, sharing an image of the rocket in space. SpaceX also shared several images on its official X page, captioning them “ship in space.”

After the mission, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson congratulated SpaceX on its “successful test flight.” “Congratulations to @SpaceX on a successful test flight! Starship has risen into the skies. “Together, we are taking big steps through Artemis to return humanity to the Moon and then look towards Mars,” he wrote in X.

Liftoff took place from SpaceX’s starbase in Boca Chica, Texas, at 8:25 am local time (6:55 pm IST), and was broadcast live on X to millions of viewers.

The Starship, which stands 397 feet tall (90 feet taller than the Statue of Liberty), is designed to be completely reusable and features a super-heavy booster that produces remarkable thrust. During its third launch test, Starship accomplished several objectives, including testing its payload delivery capabilities and re-entry into the atmosphere.

After launch, Starship traveled through space at a speed of 26,000 kilometers per hour, reaching an altitude of more than 200 kilometers above sea level. She made her way around half the Earth before beginning her descent over the Indian Ocean.

However, 49 minutes into the flight, ground control lost all signals from the spacecraft, leading to the declaration that the craft was “lost,” likely destroyed before it could make a planned hard landing. The lower stage booster also failed to make a successful water landing.

Meanwhile, Elon Musk remains optimistic about Starship’s potential. “Starship will make life multiplanetary,” he wrote in X.

SpaceX’s first integrated test ended abruptly in April 2023, when Starship failed to separate its stages, leading to the destruction of the rocket over the Gulf of Mexico. A second test in November of the same year showed slight improvement but ended with an explosion over the ocean.

Building each Starship costs SpaceX around $90 million. Despite the setbacks, SpaceX’s real-world testing approach has been successful in the past with Falcon 9 rockets and Dragon capsules. With NASA planning a mission to the Moon in 2026 and China targeting 2030, SpaceX must demonstrate Starship capabilities, including safe flight and in-orbit refueling, to remain competitive.

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