SpaceX launches Starship rocket for unprecedented maneuver test

SpaceX launched the Starship rocket this Friday (13). The takeoff took place amid a special challenge: trying to get both parts of the rocket to return to the launch base after traveling through space.

The company's idea is that, after launching the ship into space, the two components of the rocket return to the base in Texas, in the United States.

The thruster, which helps propel the ship during takeoff, must return first.

The spacecraft itself will continue its journey around the Earth before attempting to return to the launch site.

The test flight will also be used to place 26 new Starlink satellites into orbit. They are part of a new generation of equipment that, according to SpaceX, should increase the capacity and speed of the internet offered by the company.

The Starship journey is expected to last more than 22 hours. During this period, the spacecraft will have to make approximately 14 laps around the Earth before beginning its return.

The company also said it will test improvements in the ship's thermal protection, which needs to withstand very high temperatures when it returns to the Earth's atmosphere.

The launch of the Starship rocket was successful — Photo: Reproduction: SpaceX