SpaceX has more boosters and spacecraft lined up for further test flights, and Musk aims to fire them off in quick succession. But Starship explode.
SpaceX's massive new rocket exploded and crashed into the Gulf of Mexico shortly after taking off on its first test flight from the southern tip of Texas near the Mexican border.
The Starship, which was almost 400 feet (120 meters) long and carried no crew or satellites, was supposed to make a round-the-world trip. According to SpaceX, several engines on the 33-engine booster were not firing correctly as the rocket went up, causing it to lose altitude and begin tumbling. Its self-destruct system then intentionally destroyed the rocket, causing it to explode and fall into the water.
Instead of lasting 1.5 hours as planned, the entire flight only lasted four minutes. The rocket reached speeds of up to 1,300 mph (2,100 kph) and heights of up to 24 miles (39 kilometers) before it began to drop. Spectators who were several miles away from the Boca Chica Beach launch site, which was off-limits, watched as the rocket lifted off with a loud roar. In a tweet, Elon Musk called it "an exciting test launch of Starship! Learned a lot for the next test launch in a few months." SpaceX referred to the event as a "rapid unscheduled disassembly."
In the weeks leading up to the test flight of SpaceX's Starship, Elon Musk gave it 50-50 odds of reaching orbit. However, he emphasized that even clearing the launch tower and not blowing up the pad would be considered a win.
At liftoff, the rocket kicked up a huge plume of sand and dust around the pad, covering cars and surfaces in Port Isabel, 10 miles away. While the abbreviated flight did not achieve its objectives, congratulations poured in from NASA and others in the space industry.
The Federal Aviation Administration will oversee the investigation, and Starships are grounded until it is determined that there is no threat to public safety.
Despite the failed attempt, SpaceX has more boosters and spacecraft lined up for further test flights, and Musk aims to fire them off in quick succession. The ultimate goal is to use Starship for sending people and cargo to the moon and Mars.
