SpaceX’s latest test launch ended with a fireball.
SpaceX initiated a test launch of its new Starship rocket on April 20. The rocket was made to be the most powerful ever built and is designed to carry cargo and crew on interplanetary missions.
The launch of this rocket was initially planned for a launch on April 17, but the launch was ultimately canceled with seconds to spare due to an issue with a pressure valve, as previously reported by The Dallas Express.
The rocket successfully launched from its launch pad in South Texas at 8:33 a.m. on April 20. Commentators for the event said that anything after the rocket passed the tower was “icing on the cake.”
As the rocket began its flight, three of the 33 Raptor engines ceased to function. This was followed by three more engines minutes later.
The success of the launch appeared to be in jeopardy as the rocket began to spin out of control minutes into the flight when a first-stage separation failed to occur.
“The vehicle experienced multiple engines out during the flight test, lost altitude, and began to tumble. The flight termination system was commanded on both the booster and ship. As is standard procedure, the pad and surrounding area was cleared well in advance of the test, and we expect the road and beach near the pad to remain closed until tomorrow,” said SpaceX on its website.
The self-destruct sequence was triggered about 18 miles above the Earth’s surface.
SpaceX engineer John Insprucker described the end of the test launch as a “rapid unscheduled disassembly” but said that the test flight was nonetheless successful.
“Now this was a development test. This was the first test flight of Starship, and the goal is to gather the data and as we said, clear the pad and get ready to go again,” said Insprucker during the launch.
SpaceX owner Elon Musk was observing the launch from a facility nearby and issued a tweet, touting the launch as successful. Musk had already said that expectations should be “low” for this launch.
“If we get far enough away from the launch pad before something goes wrong, then I think I would consider that to be a success. Just don’t blow up the launch pad,” said Musk, according to CBS News.
Musk said there would be another test launch in a few months. In the meantime, the Federal Aviation Administration is conducting a mishap investigation to ensure that this launch did not endanger public safety.
