Woah.
Track This
SpaceX's explosive Starship test launch last week was truly a sight to behold — and now we've got incredible, close-up footage to experience it all over again.
Released by blogger Tim Dodd, better known as "Everyday Astronaut," the incredible video shows the massive spacecraft launch from multiple angles.
But the footage we're most excited about comes halfway through the video when an ultra-high-definition tracking camera captures the rocket's epic rise and fall against a clear blue Texan sky.
Starting at around the 7:30 minute mark, an 8K tracking camera follows the rocket as it blasts off, starts spinning uncontrollably, and eventually blows itself up.
Collateral Damage
As we learned last week, the explosion captured so beautifully at the end of the video was actually intentional on SpaceX's part.
In a statement released after the prototype's test flight, the company said that after the rocket reached an apogee of more than 24 miles, "the vehicle experienced multiple engines out during the flight test, lost altitude, and began to tumble."
As a result, "the flight termination system was commanded on both the booster and ship." In other words, it self-destructed after veering off course.
While that particular part of the rocket's maiden voyage went according to plan, a lot didn't. The launch kicked up tons of debris, coating the adjacent town in a layer of grime, and punched a hole through the company's launchpad. It even set fire to a nearby state park.
But hey, experts are saying the explosion was a huge success — and the resulting footage is a marvel to look at as well.
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