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SpaceX has shared new images of the Starship Flight 5 test as the team at Starbase celebrates the booster’s return to the assembly facility. The Starship test was the first to broadcast high-definition footage of some of the toughest parts of a rocket’s journey thanks to SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet constellation. The latest set of images shows the Super Heavy booster and Starship upper stage in the foreground as the curvature of the Earth is visible. They also showed the second stage of the Starship spacecraft being engulfed in plasma on its return to Earth.

SpaceX Shares New Images of Starship 5 Flight After Historic Test

Because the Starship spacecraft’s upper stage failed to re-enter Earth’s atmosphere during its first two test flights, Starship Flight 3 earlier this year was the first time the ship broadcast live footage of plasma from space as it re-entered Earth’s atmosphere.

However, this view did not last long as the ship soon disintegrated upon reentry, and the next test, Starship Flight 4, made headlines because for the first time in the history of spaceflight, live footage of a ship traveling through plasma was broadcast throughout. around the world.

Although the ship and booster were destroyed after landing on Flight 4, Flight 5 was the first time SpaceX recovered a booster intact via turret capture. Moments ago, the company shared additional images from the test as they were broadcast to Earth via Starlink. They show the ship and its boosters with Earth in the foreground and capture the plume and plasma colors in sharp detail.

Two images, one of the Super Heavy booster and another of the tail end of the Starship upper stage spacecraft, show Earth in the background during the flight. The image of the booster shows its landing pin at bottom right. While this pin may seem small, it is responsible for supporting the entire weight of the 232-foot rocket during tower capture, and it succeeded on its first attempt during Flight 5 after SpaceX captured the booster with the capture arm.

This image of Starship’s second stage shows its rear end fin via a strategically placed camera. SpaceX carefully monitored the ship’s flaps during Flight 5 because the front (or top) flap on the upper stage caught fire during reentry on the previous flight. This time, the damage to the wings was not too serious, but some areas did catch fire. SpaceX has changed its cover design for future Starship tests, so it is likely that the accident could have been avoided.

A second image of the starship’s upper stage shows the ship being engulfed in red plasma as it enters Earth’s atmosphere. This is the most stressful period during a rocket’s reentry because it requires a heat shield to withstand thousands of Fahrenheit of heat. The final image is of the Starship Super Heavy booster during stage separation. Above, the rocket’s box fins are visible along with the engine plumes of the ship’s second stage as it fires its engines to fly away from the booster and begin its portion of the test.

Starship on its fifth test flight. Display supported by @StarLink pic.twitter.com/5SAs8Bp8Rz

– SpaceX (@SpaceX) October 15, 2024