SpaceX's Starship explodes again, raising tech and investment stakes
The Starship spacecraft from Elon Musk's SpaceX conducted its ninth test flight on Tuesday, exploding in the air for the third consecutive time. The rocket traveled farther than during previous attempts but did not complete a series of other mission objectives.
Starship launched from the spacebase in Texas with a slight delay due to technical issues. However, when it took off, it flew farther than during previous missions, breaking apart over the Indian Ocean during reentry into the atmosphere.
Why Starship exploded
The first stage of the rocket, the Super Heavy booster, landed as planned in the Gulf of Mexico waters, but its engines failed when it was supposed to gently settle on the water. Another crucial element that failed was the release of mock Starlink satellites during the flight; Starship's mechanism did not release them.
Furthermore, about 20 minutes after the flight began, video connection with the craft was lost. Soon after, it was announced that the rocket had experienced a leak, resulting in an uncontrolled flight and causing it to spin on its axis.
During reentry into the atmosphere, contact was lost, and the craft was destroyed. As a result, SpaceX failed to obtain the expected data regarding the return to Earth.
This is the third consecutive flight
This is the third consecutive flight in which Starship crashed, although this time it lasted over 45 minutes, much longer than in previous trials. For the first time, a previously used Super Heavy booster was used for launch with partial success, which this time was not planned to land in the launch area and be caught by the tower's "chopsticks".
As if the flight test was not exciting enough, Starship experienced a rapid unscheduled disassembly - wrote SpaceX on its profile on the X platform, using a jargon term for the rocket's breakup.
- Teams will continue to review data and work toward our next flight test. With a test like this, success comes from what we learn, and today’s test will help us improve Starship’s reliability as SpaceX seeks to make life multiplanetary - it added.
Tens of thousands of jobs, billions in private investments
NASA Chief Jared Isaacman stated that while some may focus on failures, behind Starship, like previous major rockets, there is a "massive space economy taking shape".
Tens of thousands of jobs, billions in private investment, all aimed at truly opening the last great frontier. When these capabilities arrive, they will spearhead a new era of exploration and discovery--and the lows will become a chapter in a much longer story - declared the former member of missions organized by SpaceX.
With Starship, Musk—and NASA—have high hopes, as it is expected to be the vehicle that will take humans back to the Moon as part of the Artemis III mission. It is also expected to be the spacecraft on which the first astronauts will stand on the Moon. Back in May, the billionaire announced that this year Starship—and not just its booster—would be able to safely land on Earth.
