Elon Musk’s SpaceX rocket exploded shortly after launch from Texas, marking the second consecutive failure of his Mars rocket program this year. The incident occurred when Starship, the world’s biggest rocket, experienced a rapid unscheduled disassembly and lost contact with mission control.
According to SpaceX, the Super Heavy booster successfully deployed 33 Raptor engines during takeoff, but an “energetic event” caused Starship to lose several of its engines, resulting in a loss of attitude control and communication. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) activated a Debris Response Area and slowed down aircraft in affected areas as debris fell from the skies.
The rocket took off from Starbase in Boca Chica, Texas, and was designed to carry humans and cargo to the Moon and Mars. It is the world’s most powerful launch vehicle, capable of carrying up to 150 metric tonnes fully reusable weight and 250 metric tonnes expendable.
SpaceX expressed regret over the incident, stating that it will conduct a thorough investigation with the FAA and implement corrective actions to improve Starship’s reliability. The company’s CEO, Elon Musk, wrote on X: “Rockets are hard.”
Source: https://www.newsweek.com/elon-musk-reacts-starship-explosion-spacex-texas-rockets-are-hard-2041002