On Thursday morning, SpaceX Starship successfully completed its first integrated test, making it the most powerful rocket in history.
Shortly after its 9:33 a.m. EDT (8:33 a.m. CDT) launch from the company’s Starbase operations area near Brownsville, Texas, the rocket exploded in flames.
Rocket Failure During SpaceX Test Flight
Three minutes into the flight over the Gulf of Mexico, it became evident that the first-stage Super Heavy booster and second Stage starship vehicle would not separate as planned, causing the 400-foot stack to tumble. It ultimately disintegrated and crashed into the Gulf.
SpaceX subsequently confirmed that the rocket’s flight termination system, or FTS, was activated for safety reasons in order to destroy the tumbling vehicle. In addition to the separation failure, it appears that three of the 33 Raptor engines failed to ignite during launch.
Despite the hardware issues, SpaceX considers the mission a success. Initially, the goal was for the rocket’s engines to ignite and then clear the tower. Anything else, according to SpaceX, would require engineers to review additional data.
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Future Launch Plans for Starship
During the launch webcast, SpaceX’s engineering manager Kate Tice said, “From a milestone perspective, our primary objective is to clear the pad and ascend past the 500-foot launch tower without incident.” In other words, anything beyond that is a bonus. The further we travel, the more data we collect.
SpaceX is using Starbase, an operations and production area near Brownsville, Texas, for prototyping and constructing the first Starships. The area resembles Cape Canaveral and Kennedy Space Center during the Apollo era in that it is close to the ocean and has a low elevation. Prior to SpaceX, the area lacked a space industry presence.
However, Starship is not restricted to Texas alone. After the prototype is complete and operational mission planning begins, SpaceX plans to launch the massive vehicle from pad 39A at Kennedy Space Center. Overall, the test flight revealed significant progress for SpaceX, although it also uncovered some issues.
Starship is not alone in this conflict. The debut mission of NASA’s Space Launch System, a heavy-lift rocket launched in November, also left behind significantly more damage than anticipated. The pad 39B elevator doors were blown off, a swath of land was scorched, and the damage to the mobile launcher exceeded initial estimates.
Meanwhile, the SpaceX team at Kennedy Space Center is aiming for a launch on Wednesday, April 26. The launch of a three-core Falcon Heavy rocket is scheduled for that evening at 7:30 p.m. EDT, though exact timing has not yet been determined. There will be no local sonic booms following the launch because neither the two side boosters nor the center booster will be recovered.
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