A fire likely caused a catastrophic accident during SpaceX’s latest test flight of its Starship rocket, sending trails of flaming debris over the Caribbean. According to Elon Musk, the company suspects a leak in fuel led to pressure building up above the engine firewall, resulting in a devastating fire that doomed the spacecraft.
The 400-foot-tall Starship launched from Texas on Thursday and was meant to test its engines and practice releasing dummy satellites into orbit. However, communication was lost eight minutes into the flight, and dramatic footage showed debris raining down from the sky as it broke apart over the Atlantic.
SpaceX said the falling debris followed the rocket’s intended launch path over water, minimizing the risk of injury or damage. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has ordered an investigation, but so far, there have been no reports of injuries.
The incident marks a setback for SpaceX’s ambitious plans to build a fleet of Starships capable of carrying humans to Mars. Despite the loss, Elon Musk downplayed the accident as “barely a bump in the road.” NASA, however, has already booked two Starships to land astronauts on the moon later this decade under its Artemis program.
SpaceX is already building and testing the next demo mission, with the booster and spacecraft for the eighth test flight currently undergoing testing. Blue Origin’s Jeff Bezos also had mixed results with its debut of the New Glenn rocket, achieving orbit but failing to land on a floating platform.
Source: https://apnews.com/article/spacex-starship-elon-musk-launch-accident-e69d04467e2def65d2bc6b0e9645d715