SpaceX’s Starship rocket, the most powerful rocket ever built, underwent its historic inaugural test flight on but it ended in disaster as it exploded midair before stage separation.
The explosion inflicted serious damage on its Texas launch site, which is expected to take months to repair, potentially delaying further launch attempts and slowing the development of a rocket NASA plans to use on its upcoming moon missions.
What happened?
The explosion occurred about four minutes after liftoff, and the FAA confirmed that no injuries or public property damage have been reported. SpaceX said that “teams will continue to review data and work toward our next flight test.”
The spacecraft was set to use its own engines, blazing for more than six minutes, to propel itself to near orbital speeds after the massive Super Heavy rocket booster lifted off and sent a massive boom across the coastal landscape.
SpaceX later said multiple engines on the 33-engine booster were not firing as the rocket ascended, causing it to lose altitude and begin to tumble. “The vehicle experienced multiple engines out during the flight test, lost altitude, and began to tumble,” according to an update from SpaceX. “The flight termination system was commanded on both the booster and ship.”
The damage done to the launch pad after the SpaceX Starship launch
by u/15_Redstones in ThatLookedExpensive
The rocket was intentionally destroyed by its self-destruct system, exploding and plummeting into the water.
SpaceX team remains confident despite setback
Elon Musk stated that the company gained valuable knowledge during Thursday’s test and hinted at another test launch in a few months. Despite the setback, SpaceX remains committed to advancing space exploration technology and pushing the boundaries of what is possible.
The test flight marked a significant milestone in SpaceX’s ambitious plans for human exploration and colonization of Mars. The Starship rocket is intended to be fully reusable and capable of carrying up to 100 people, along with cargo, to destinations like the moon and Mars. However, this setback is likely to delay the company’s plans, at least temporarily.
Despite the setback, SpaceX remains committed to pushing the boundaries of space exploration and developing the technology needed to make it possible.
Invetsigation
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) will oversee the mishap investigation of the Starship/Super Heavy test mission.
“The FAA will oversee the mishap investigation of the Starship / Super Heavy test mission. A return to flight of the Starship / Super Heavy vehicle is based on the FAA determining that any system, process, or procedure related to the mishap does not affect public safety. This is standard practice for all mishap investigations” said a statement issued by the Federal Aviation Administration on Thursday afternoon.