Starship, from Elon Musk’s company SpaceX, exploded during its first flight.
Fortunately, no one was harmed in the unmanned experiment that took off from the eastern coast of Texas on Thursday morning.
With 33 engines housed within, SpaceX Starship is considered as the most powerful rocket ever built. The Super Heavy rocket booster was launched, generating a tremendous roar as it ignited to life and producing a deafening sound that echoed across the coastal terrain. Accompanied by the Starship spacecraft, which was perched atop the booster, it ascended high above the Gulf of Mexico.
The rocket began to spiral out of control and was subsequently obliterated by onboard charges roughly four minutes after liftoff, according to reports.
Despite the setback, the mission is regarded as a triumph by SpaceX engineers, who adhere to the “test early and frequently” approach and aren’t deterred by the prospect of things going awry. They will have amassed a wealth of information to advance towards the next launch.
A second Starship is reportedly almost ready for launch.
Musk has declared that his firm will make another attempt in a few months.
“Congrats @SpaceX team on an exciting test launch of Starship! Learned a lot for next test launch in a few months,” Musk tweeted.
The rocket is set to play a key role in NASA’s Artemis program, which plans to put humans on the moon in 2025.
At the moment, the exact cause of the explosion and the separation malfunction is unclear. Despite this, the company has classified the test as a triumph due to the rocket’s successful launch.
The US Federal Aviation Administration will lead an investigation into the accident. A representative stated that this is customary protocol in the event of a mishap resulting in the loss of a vehicle while in flight.
