On March 7, the astronauts of the International Space Station witnessed a spectacular accident. 400 kilometers above Earth, they watched as SpaceX’s Starship, the world’s most powerful rocket, once again exploded in the atmosphere during a test flight. NASA astronaut Don Pettit, known for his unique space images, posted footage of the explosion on social media.
A powerful test with an explosive finale
Starship launched from the Starbase spaceport in Texas. This was the eighth flight and the second unsuccessful one in a row. In January, the spacecraft exploded 10 minutes after liftoff due to engine problems. Then a fuel leak caused a fire and the emergency flight termination system activated over the Turks and Caicos Islands. Burning debris fell over a large area, damaging local buildings.
Despite the incident, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) authorized the next launch. “The decision was based on an assessment of the risks to public safety,” said FAA spokesman Steven Kulm.
Chronicle of the accident
This time Starship gained a significant altitude, but before completing the ascent, strong vibrations began. Failure of several engines resulted in loss of control. After 9.5 minutes, communication with the spacecraft was lost and the wreckage fell over the Bahamas. Flights were canceled in Florida for several hours to avoid collisions.
SpaceX emphasized that the drop zone was planned, and the debris did not contain toxic substances. “This will not affect the ocean ecosystem,” the company noted. They also worked with aviation services to minimize the impact.
The future of space travel
Starship is a key project for future missions to the Moon and Mars. Each test, even a failed one, provides engineers with data to improve the systems. Elon Musk has repeatedly emphasized that failure is part of the path to success in space. However, regular crashes raise questions about the safety and effectiveness of SpaceX’s methods.
There are no plans now for the FAA to suspend the company’s license, paving the way for more testing. And the world awaits the next act of this space drama — with the hope that the next Starship will fly farther.
Earlier we reported on how SpaceX named the cause of Starship’s stunning crash.
According to mashable.com
