one SpaceX by Elon Musk Law enforcement said the Starship exploded in a routine test in Texas late Wednesday, the latest setback to the billionaire’s dream of turning humans into an interstellar species.
A Facebook post from Cameron County authorities said Starship 36 suffered a “catastrophic failure and explosion” shortly after the Starship Launch Facility (0400 GMT Thursday).
The video shared with the post shows the Megarocket on the launch arm, followed by the flash and the towering fiery explosion.
Musk’s space x The Rocket was preparing for the tenth flight test when it “experienced major anomalies on the test stand on the constellation” without detailing the nature of the complications.
Space X added on social media: “Throughout the entire operation, the entire operation maintained a safe area of the safe area, and all personnel were safe and responsible.”
“There is no harm to the residents of the surrounding communities and we require individuals not to try to approach the area as security operations continue to move forward.”
Cameron County authorities said the Starship was not scheduled for Wednesday night when the explosion occurred in a “regular static fire test.”
During a part of the process before launch, during a static fire, the starship’s overweight booster will be secured to the ground to prevent it from being lifted during the fire test.
The constellation on the South Texas coast near the border with Mexico is the headquarters of the Musk space project.
Megarocket
The spacecraft is 403 feet (123 meters) tall, and is the largest and most powerful rocket in the world and the core of Musk’s long-term colonization of Mars.
The Starship is known as a fully reusable rocket with a payload capacity of up to 150 metric tons.
The latest setback was the explosion of a prototype starship in the Indian Ocean in late May.
The largest and most powerful launcher ever had been evacuated from the Constellation facility on May 27, but the first phase of the super-heavy booster blew up instead of a splash of its plan in the Gulf of Mexico.
The end of the first two outings was also poor, with the upper stage disintegrating in the Caribbean.
However, failure may not help Dent Musk’s space ambitions.
SpaceX Always betting that its “failure, quick learning” spirit (helping it dominate commercial space flights) will eventually pay off.
The company grabbed the super heavy booster in the giant robotic weapon of the launch tower, a bold engineering feat that is key to fast reusability and cost-cutting.
NASA is also increasingly relying on SpaceX, which is crucial to driving astronauts to the International Space Station.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) approved the annual Starship rocket increase from five to 25 in early May, noting that the increase in frequency will not adversely affect the environment.
The decision overturns objections warning the expansion of conservation groups could harm sea turtles and coastal birds.
