Third test flight of SpaceX's mega rocket ends with loss of spacecraft
New Mexico, Mar 14: SpaceX's mega rocket blasted off on another test flight on Thursday and made it farther than two previous attempts, but the spacecraft was lost as it descended back to Earth.
The company said it lost contact with the spacecraft as it neared its goal, a splashdown in the Indian Ocean, about an hour after liftoff from the southern tip of Texas near the Mexican border.
Two test flights last year both ended in explosions minutes after liftoff.
Starship, the biggest and most powerful rocket ever built, headed out over the Gulf of Mexico after launch Thursday. Minutes later, the booster separated seamlessly from the spaceship and splashed down into the gulf and the spacecraft continued eastward. No people or satellites were on board.
An hour later, SpaceX commentators said contact had been lost with the spacecraft.
"The ship has been lost. So no splashdown today," said SpaceX's Dan Huot. "But again, it's incredible to see how much further we got this time around."
Earlier during the flight, SpaceX's Elon Musk had congratulated his team."SpaceX has come a long way," Musk said via X, former Twitter. The rocket company was founded exactly 22 years ago Thursday.
The rocket and futuristic-looking spacecraft towers 397 feet (121 meters), easily exceeding NASA's past and present moon rockets.
NASA watched with keen interest: The space agency needs Starship to succeed in order to land astronauts on the moon in the next two or so years. This new crop of moonwalkers the first since last century's Apollo program will descend to the lunar surface in a Starship, at least the first couple times.
Starship re-entering Earth's atmosphere. Views through the plasma pic.twitter.com/HEQX4eEHWH
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) March 14, 2024
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Kerala HC declines interim stay on screening of ''L2: Empuraan''
Kochi (PTI): The Kerala High Court on Tuesday declined to issue any interim order putting on hold the screening of Malayalam film 'L2: Empuraan' starring superstar Mohanlal.
Justice C S Dias ordered to issue notice to the Centre and the Censor Board seeking their stand on the plea by Thrissur-native V V Vijeesh who has claimed that continuing to show the movie poses a risk of inciting communal violence and disturbing public order.
It listed the matter for hearing after the vacation.
The court also questioned whether the petition was filed in publicity interest by the petitioner.
During the brief hearing of the matter, the court also asked what was the problem when the Censor Board had certified the film for public viewing.
It also expressed doubts about the petitioner's intention behind filing the plea.
It also pointed out that no case was filed anywhere against the movie.
The state government said that no case has been lodged against the film in Kerala.
Meanwhile, Antony Perumbavoor, one of the producers of the film, earlier in the day announced that the movie has undergone cuts to remove scenes of little over two minutes.
He said the decision to carry out the edit was a joint one of all the producers and actors, including Mohanlal and Prithviraj Sukumaran, and it was not out of fear of anyone.
The movie has faced intense criticism from the Sangh Parivar with regard to some portions of the film.
'L2: Empuraan', the second part of the 'Lucifer' movie, a trilogy planned by the Prithviraj-Mohanlal team, has become a topic of hot debate over its critique of right-wing politics and the covert mention of the Gujarat riots.
On March 27, the day of the movie's release, the Sangh Parivar vehemently criticised the film on social media, while the Congress and Left platforms celebrated the film for portraying the right-wing politics as "villainous".
