SpaceX has already spent billions of dollars from private funders as well as funding from the US Air Force and NASA to develop the rocket. The company teased that it will launch its third test flight next week, after two previous attempts that resulted in explosions during takeoff.
SpaceX's third Starship megarocket stands stacked on the launch pad at its Starbase site in South Texas.
The upcoming mission for the spacecraft will be markedly different than its two predecessors with more numerous and ambitious objectives such as opening and closing Starship's payload door, a propellant transfer demonstration during the upper stage's coast phase, the first ever re-light of a Raptor engine while in space and a controlled reentry of Starship.
SpaceX's third Starship megarocket stands stacked on the launch pad at its Starbase site in South Texas. SpaceX released this photo on Feb. 13, 2024.
(Image credit: SpaceX via X)
The upcoming mission for the spacecraft will be markedly different than its two predecessors with more numerous and ambitious objectives for the two-stage, 400-foot-tall (122 meters) Starship. Among these goals are opening and closing Starship's payload door, a propellant transfer demonstration during the upper stage's coast phase, the first ever re-light of a Raptor engine while in space and a controlled reentry of Starship.
SpaceX has already spent billions of dollars from private funders as well as funding from the US Air Force and NASA to develop the rocket. The company teased that it will launch its third test flight next week, after two previous attempts that resulted in explosions during takeoff. While some investors suggest SpaceX will be worth 40% to 70% more than its current value by 2028 and go public, Starship not finding a way to fly without exploding could make taking off difficult.
The spacecraft exploded during its first test flight last April and again minutes into the air in November.
Former Quartz senior reporter Tim Fernholz writes that SpaceX will have to figure out how to refuel the rocket for its second leg of the trip to the Moon once it's already in space.
The most recent flight achieved a number of major milestones and provided valuable data for future development of Starship
Accuracy
SpaceX's Starship will launch a third test flight next week.
Starship is crucial for getting SpaceX's Starlink satellites into space, Elon Musk's finances, and NASA's bid to beat China and put Americans on the moon by 2030.
SpaceX has already spent billions of dollars from private funders as well as funding from the US Air Force and NASA to develop the rocket.
Some investors suggest SpaceX will be worth 40% to 70% more than its current value by 2028 and go public, but Starship not finding a way to fly without exploding could make taking off difficult.
Deception
(100%)
None Found At Time Of
Publication
Fallacies
(70%)
None Found At Time Of
Publication
Bias
(80%)
The article is biased towards SpaceX's Starship project. The author uses language that portrays the company and its goals in a positive light, such as calling it 'the biggest and most powerful rocket ever built'. Additionally, the article highlights specific achievements of previous test flights while downplaying their failures.
SpaceX is developing Starship to help humanity settle the moon and Mars
Starship performed much better on the second flight, which launched in November 2023. The vehicle achieved a nominal first-stage engine burn
The upcoming mission will be markedly different than its two predecessors
SpaceX's Starship will launch a third test flight next week.
The spacecraft exploded during its first test flight last April and again minutes into the air in November.
Starship is crucial for getting SpaceX's Starlink satellites into space, Elon Musk's finances, and NASA's bid to beat China and put Americans on the moon by 2030.
SpaceX has already spent billions of dollars from private funders as well as funding from the US Air Force and NASA to develop the rocket.
Former Quartz senior reporter Tim Fernholz writes that SpaceX will have to figure out how to refuel the rocket for its second leg of the trip to the Moon once it's already in space.
Some investors suggest SpaceX will be worth 40% to 70% more than its current value by 2028 and go public, but Starship not finding a way to fly without exploding could make taking off difficult.
Accuracy
No Contradictions at Time
Of
Publication
Deception
(30%)
The article is deceptive in several ways. Firstly, the author claims that SpaceX's Starship will launch a third test flight next week when no such announcement has been made by the company. Secondly, the author states that Starship exploded during its first and second test flights without providing any evidence to support this claim. Thirdly, the article implies that SpaceX is solely responsible for NASA's bid to beat China and put Americans on the moon by 2030 when in reality, NASA has a significant role in this mission.
The article implies that Starship exploded during its first and second test flights without providing any evidence to support this claim.
The author states that SpaceX is solely responsible for NASA's bid to beat China and put Americans on the moon by 2030 when in reality, NASA has a significant role in this mission.
The author claims that SpaceX will launch a third test flight next week without providing any evidence to support this claim.
Fallacies
(75%)
The article contains several fallacies. The first is an appeal to authority when it mentions that the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) investigated and gave approval for Starship to fly again after its second test flight exploded twice minutes into the air. This implies that the FAA has a high level of expertise in determining whether or not spacecraft are safe enough to fly, which is not necessarily true. The article also contains an example of inflammatory rhetoric when it states that SpaceX will have a hard time taking off if Starship doesn't find a way to fly without exploding. This statement implies that the success of SpaceX as a company depends solely on the success of its rocket, which is not necessarily true.
The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) investigated and gave approval for Starship to fly again after its second test flight exploded twice minutes into the air.
Bias
(75%)
The article contains multiple examples of bias. The author uses language that dehumanizes the SpaceX Starship by referring to it as a spacecraft that exploded twice and is still in development. This creates an emotional response rather than providing objective information about the rocket's progress.
SpaceX’s Starship lifts off during an orbital test mission, on the company’s Boca Chica launchpad in Texas.Photo: Joe Skipper (Reuters)
The spacecraft exploded during its first test flight last April.
While that test flight went better than the first one, it still exploded — twice — minutes into the air.
Starship is a Mars-bound spacecraft built by SpaceX
The next test flight for Starship will attempt to meet new objectives, including opening and closing the payload door and controlled re-entry down to Earth
SpaceX hopes that Starship will eventually take humanity back to Mars but must first make it into orbit without exploding
Accuracy
No Contradictions at Time
Of
Publication
Deception
(30%)
The article is deceptive in several ways. Firstly, it states that Starship has been flown in two test launches so far when only one launch was conducted before the time of writing this analysis. Secondly, the article claims that both previous flights were successful but they actually blew up before achieving their objectives. Thirdly, the article implies that SpaceX is trying to maximize public safety by taking a new trajectory and attempting to land in the Indian Ocean when there is no evidence of any danger or risk associated with this change.
The sentence 'Both had attempted to achieve the first orbital flight and then land in the Pacific Ocean but blew up before they had a chance to do so.' is deceptive because both previous flights actually blew up before achieving their objectives.
The sentence 'SpaceX has been flown in two test launches so far' is deceptive because only one launch was conducted before the time of writing this analysis.
The sentence 'That will include opening and closing the payload door that would allow objects to be carried to space, and a controlled re-entry down to Earth. The mission will also see Starship take a new trajectory, which SpaceX said would allow it to try new techniques while maximising public safety.' is deceptive because there is no evidence of any danger or risk associated with this change.
Fallacies
(75%)
None Found At Time Of
Publication
Bias
(10%)
The article is biased towards SpaceX and its Starship spacecraft. The author uses language that portrays the company in a positive light, such as calling it 'the biggest and most powerful rocket ever built' and praising Elon Musk for his vision of taking humanity back to Mars. Additionally, the article repeatedly mentions previous successful test launches by SpaceX despite both attempts ending in explosions.
The article repeatedly mentions previous successful test launches by SpaceX despite both attempts ending in explosions
The author uses language that portrays SpaceX and its Starship spacecraft in a positive light
