A prototype of the giant SpaceX rocket starship of the future – which the company hopes to launch Mars MISSION – A fire broke out during a test launch off the coast of Texas on Wednesday.
But the company line was happy as the launch livestream displayed the on-screen message “Awesome Test. Congress Starship Team!”
“Mars, let’s go !!” Tesla, the founder of SpaceX Alan Musk Retweeted minutes after the flight, Stating that a very fast landing speed was responsible for the crash.
He described the successful parts of the rocket’s short afternoon voyage: take-off, change of position in flight, and its (before the explosion) correct landing trajectory.
“We got all the data we needed! Congratulations to the SpaceX team.” He tweeted.
Wednesday’s test was launched and went straight into a straight line, before one and then another engine ran out. After flying for 4 minutes and 45 seconds, its third engine went out and the rocket began landing at its expected position.
The engine was restarted a few seconds before landing in an attempt to slow down the ship, but it crashed to the ground.
Smaller prototypes have already flown several hundred yards (meters) into the air in less than a minute, with the aim of developing the next generation of rockets at lightning speed from the company as part of a series of tests.
‘Success’
After several incomplete attempts this week, the flight was streamed live on the @ SpaceX Twitter account.
The test flight was planned to check the huge metal body of the SN8 (Starship No. 8) and its three engines for their aerodynamics, including during the ship’s return to Earth – which is vertical. Like SpaceX’s flagship Falcon 9 rocket.
“With this type of test, success is not measured by the achievement of specific objectives but by how much we can learn, which will inform and improve the likelihood of future success as SpaceX accelerates the growth of the starship.” A statement from the company’s website said, “Before the start, it indicates that an explosion or crash will not mean a failed mission.”
Construction on the next prototype, the SN9, is almost complete.
Experimental flights are taking place in the almost deserted part of South Texas on the Gulf of Mexico near the US-Mexico border – the area is so empty that there is no possibility of physical or property damage due to any flight malfunction.
Musk recently announced plans to move from California to the vast South American state.
Any future completed Starship rocket will be equipped with 37 engines instead of nine, and will measure 120 meters (390 feet) long and be able to carry 100 tons of cargo around the earth.
The town hopes to one day be able to launch several of its spacecraft to Mars one day, although they may prove useful in the short term as NASA observes a current presence on the moon in 2024. Set up again.
Japanese billionaire Yusaku Mezawa is set to pay an undisclosed amount for a starship to spin around the moon in 2023 – as soon as possible.
Agence France-Presse
