SpaceX's ambitious Starship rocket faced a fiery end during its seventh test flight Thursday, as the spacecraft was destroyed in what the company termed a \"rapid unscheduled disassembly.\" Despite a thrilling booster catch back at the pad—a feat only achieved once before—the mission couldn't be completed successfully.
Launched from Boca Chica Beach in Texas, the 400-foot rocket aimed to soar across the Gulf of Mexico and perform a near loop around the world, replicating aspects of previous test flights. Onboard were 10 dummy satellites designed to simulate satellite deployment, mimicking SpaceX's Starlink internet constellation.
During the ascent, the Starship's six engines began shutting down sequentially, leading to a loss of contact just 8 and a half minutes into the flight. The moment before the mishap saw SpaceX activating the launch tower's massive mechanical arms, affectionately known as chopsticks, to catch the returning booster. While the crowd witnessed the dramatic catch, the subsequent explosion led to widespread disappointment.
Dan Huot, SpaceX spokesperson, expressed, \"It was great to see a booster come down, but we are obviously bummed out about ship. It's a flight test. It's an experimental vehicle.\"
Elon Musk shared preliminary findings, suggesting that leaking fuel might have caused pressure buildup in a cavity above the engine firewall. To prevent future incidents, SpaceX plans to enhance fire suppression systems, improve venting, and implement stricter leak checks.
The latest test marked a significant step towards SpaceX's broader goals. With NASA reserving two Starships for moon missions later this decade and Musk's vision set on Mars, each test flight, successful or not, brings the company closer to its interplanetary ambitions.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
