SpaceX suffered a massive blow on Thursday as the Starship rocket exploded after just four minutes into its first test flight.
After liftoff, SpaceX's Starship exploded in midair on first launch attempt. The most powerful rocket ever constructed is uncrewed.
"As if the flight test was not exciting enough, Starship experienced a rapid unscheduled disassembly before stage separation.
"Starship just experienced what we call a rapid unplanned disassembly," an official said on the broadcast.
What is Starship?
Starship is a next-generation spacecraft developed by SpaceX, a private space exploration company founded by Elon Musk. The spacecraft is designed to transport both crew and cargo to Earth orbit, the Moon, Mars, and beyond. It is intended to be fully reusable, which will help reduce the cost of spaceflight.
Details about Starship
The Starship spacecraft is planned to be composed of two main elements: the Starship spacecraft itself, which will carry crew and cargo, and the Super Heavy rocket, which will provide the initial propulsion to get Starship off the ground. Both the Starship spacecraft and the Super Heavy rocket are powered by SpaceX's Raptor engines, which use liquid methane and liquid oxygen as propellants.
SpaceX working on mission to send humans to Mars
SpaceX has been conducting a series of test flights of the Starship prototype, with varying degrees of success. The most recent test flight, conducted in March 2021, saw the Starship prototype successfully launch to an altitude of 10 kilometers before performing a controlled landing. SpaceX plans to continue testing the Starship prototype in the coming months, with the ultimate goal of sending humans to Mars and establishing a sustainable human presence on the red planet.
