SpaceX’s Starship rocket system reached several milestones in its second test flight before the rocket booster and spacecraft exploded over the Gulf of Mexico.

  • neveraskedforthis@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    Fully reusable super-heavy rockets with multiple full stage combustion engines running on Methane have been done before? You mind sharing sources because I can’t find any.

    Closest thing I can think of is the Soviet N1 rocket (about 2/3 the thrust of Starship) which the Soviets really struggled with and ended up abandoning, and it wasn’t even close to being reusable.

    • BearOfaTime@lemm.ee
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      1 year ago

      Didn’t the N1 have a massive launch pad failure that we still don’t know how many people it killed?

      • neveraskedforthis@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        Can’t find any reference to anyone dying or getting injured, but in terms of pad damage it definitely takes the cake.

        The first Starship may have put a hole in the pad, but the N1 obliterated it.