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Fresh footage from a NASA observation aircraft courtesy of a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) shows remarkable views of SpaceX’s April Starship test flight which saw the world’s largest rocket take to the skies before failing at stage separation. NASA’s WB-57 aircraft was one of the first to provide clues about an impending launch through its scheduling calendar, and the plane regularly covers SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spacecraft after it returns from space to monitor the capsule through the perilous stages of descent. The new footage comes from two of the WB-57’s five cameras, with the remaining kept classified by the space agency.
NASA’s calendar for the WB-57 was one of the first to provide a hint for an upcoming Starship launch earlier this year. The agency uses the aircraft for research purposes and the plane is often booked for flights months in advance. The first WB-57 placeholder for a Starship launch surfaced in February, and it saw the plane being booked for a March test attempt. Then, the second placeholder appeared in April, and it booked slots for two planes, JSC #926 and JSC #927. Out of these, 926 was booked for the time during which the Starship launch took place, and today’s visuals are likely from this aircraft.
The plane is typically used when a communications blackout occurs in a human spaceflight mission during atmospheric reentry. During this time period, the WB-57 is generally the first to provide visual confirmation of a reentry – a job that it is particularly suited to since it is the only aircraft apart from the U2 with a service ceiling greater than 50,000 feet. SpaceX’s Starship test saw the rocket fly to roughly 36 kilometers before its second stage failed to separate, and the vehicle self destructed after ground commands were sent.
The YouTube channel The Launch Pad procured footage of the WB-57’s Starship test launch coverage after filing a freedom of information request. It shows Starship from two camera angles, where one zooms in on the massive rocket while the other does not. The rocket’s engine problems are clearly visible in the zoomed-in footage, as one side emits more flames than the others.
SpaceX’s launch coverage of the event used ground cameras to track Starship during flight. The distance between the camera and the rocket left it unclear if the rocket was destroyed on purpose or if it experienced a malfunction during the flight. The NASA footage shows Starship simply exploding during the flight in a massive fireball that sent debris flying around it.
The April Starship test was a success since the Super Heavy booster cleared the launch pad and managed to take the second stage up to the point of stage separation. However, this is where it failed, as the second stage failed to separate from the first. To mitigate this, SpaceX is planning to change the stage separation profile. This will now fire up the second stage’s engines before separation to ensure that its separation is successful. The company is also making important upgrades to the Raptor engines and adding a flame diversion system at the launch pad to avoid damage.
However, before the next Starship test flight can take place, SpaceX has to work with the FAA to clear the rocket for launch. According to the agency, Starship will not be cleared until all systems that led to the April failure are certified not to be a hazard to public or environmental safety.
Starship footage from WB-57 Cam 0:
Starship footage from WB-57 Cam 4:
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