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SpaceX's Starship Flight 5 Achieves Precise Splashdown in Indian Ocean

Oct 18, 2024, 01:00 PM

SpaceX has successfully completed the fifth flight test of its Starship on Sunday, October 13, achieving a controlled entry and high-accuracy splashdown at a targeted area in the Indian Ocean. The Starship, which stands nearly 400 feet tall—equivalent to a 40-story skyscraper—and is fully reusable, demonstrated improved vehicle capabilities that protected its flaps from high heating during re-entry. Notably, the spacecraft has over three times the mass and generates three times the thrust of the Saturn V rocket. New images and footage from the test flight have been released, showcasing the Starship's flip maneuver and landing burn. SpaceX deployed a buoy equipped with a high-definition camera and Starlink in the Indian Ocean to capture the precise splashdown, highlighting the company's advancements in controlling the vehicle from orbit.