Elon Musk’s rocket disaster. The starship exploded in the air
The seventh test flight of the Starship rocket, developed by Elon Musk’s SpaceX company, ended in a disaster. The rocket first lost communication with the command center and then disintegrated in mid-air.
The rocket took off as planned, but about a minute after leaving the launch pad it stopped transmitting telemetry data. Live broadcast host Dan Huot reported: “We have lost telemetry from the ship, which means there is no contact. “At this point we assume the ship has been lost.”
Starship. Flight disaster one minute after take-off
Elon Musk, the owner of SpaceX, revealed on the X platform (formerly Twitter) that the cause of the failure was most likely liquid oxygen leak in the compartment above the engine wall. “The resulting pressure exceeded the capacity of the vent, which led to an explosion,” Musk explained.
Details of the disaster and impact on safety
After the rocket disintegrated over the Gulf of Mexico, SpaceX immediately took action to protect the airspace. Planes flying in this area were diverted to other routes to avoid the potential threat of falling debris.
SpaceX appealed to residents near the launch site to report any found rocket fragments. The company noted that they may contain materials that have not been completely burned in the atmosphere.
Groundbreaking landing of the Super Heavy booster
Despite the loss of the rocket’s second stage, SpaceX recorded an important success. The first stage of the rocket – the Super Heavy booster – managed to return to the launch sitewhere it was intercepted by mechanical arms mounted on the launch tower. This achievement, achieved for the second time in history, is crucial for future missions because it allows the reuse of this element of the rocket.
Starship and SpaceX ambitions: Moon and Mars
Starship is a rocket that is expected to revolutionize space exploration. It is intended to be launched into orbit the largest loadssignificantly reducing the costs of such operations, and also enable the transportation of people to Moon and Mars.
The rocket has height 123 meters and consists of two main modules: a powerful booster Super Heavy and the second stage, which is the spacecraft proper. Thursday’s mission, which ended in failure, involved a number of tests, including: tests of the new drive system, thermal shield and structural strength of the vehicle.
Groundbreaking technological improvements included:
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increasing fuel volume by 25%,
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vacuum insulation of wires,
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introduction of actively cooled protection plates.
There were also plans to place a payload in orbit for the first time – ten Starlink satellite simulators.
Hopes for the future
Despite the problems, Elon Musk announced that the coming year will be a breakthrough for the Starship program. It is planned to launch the reusable system of the entire rocket and carry out ambitious missions beyond Earth orbit.
Starship with problems
Thursday’s attempt was not the first Starship test to fail. While sixth test flight Instead of returning to Texas, the Super Heavy booster landed in the Gulf of Mexico. The second stage of the rocket crashed in the Indian Ocean as planned.
Competition: Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket
The seventh flight of Starship coincided with the launch of the rocket New Glenn Blue Origin, owned by Jeff Bezos. The launch took place from Cape Canaveral, Florida, a New Glenn presented its capabilities of carrying heavy loads into orbit. It is distinguished by a wide fairing that allows the transport of larger loads than competitive designs.
