SpaceX Starship test fails after Texas launch
The latest test of SpaceX’s giant Starship rocket has failed just minutes after launch.
Officials at Elon Musk’s company said the upper stage was lost after problems arose after takeoff from Texas on Thursday.
The mission came just hours after the maiden flight of the Blue Origin New Glenn rocket system backed by Amazon boss Jeff Bezos.
Both tech billionaires want to dominate the space vehicle market.
“Starship experienced a rapid undetermined disturbance during its ascent. Teams will continue to review data from today’s flight test to better understand the root cause,” SpaceX posted on Twitter.
“With testing like this, success comes from what we learn, and today’s flight will help us improve the reliability of Starship.”
Unverified footage on social media shows the rocket bursting into flames.
“Success is uncertain, but entertainment is guaranteed!” Mr Musk posted on Instagram, sharing footage of the launch.
He also said that “improved versions” of the ship and booster were “already awaiting launch”.
“Initial indications are that there was an oxygen/fuel leak into the cavity above the ship’s engine firewall that was large enough to create pressure exceeding the vent capacity,” Musk said a little later, adding, “There are still some Doesn’t even suggest pushing.” The next launch will take place next month”.
According to the SpaceX livestream, footage of the launch was viewed 7.2 million times.
The Starship system lifted off from Boca Chica, Texas at 17:38 EST (22:38 GMT) in the company’s seventh test mission.
The Starship’s upper stage separated from its Super Heavy booster about four minutes into flight as planned.
But then SpaceX communications manager Dan Huot reported on a live stream that mission teams had lost contact with the ship.
The Super Heavy booster managed to return to its launchpad about seven minutes after liftoff as planned, prompting applause from ground control teams.
The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said it was aware that “an anomaly occurred” during the SpaceX mission.
“The FAA briefly slowed the aircraft and diverted the aircraft around the area where spacecraft debris was falling. Normal operations have since resumed,” it said in a statement.
This comes a day after a SpaceX rocket carried two privately built lunar landers and a micro rover to the moon from Florida.
The unmanned Falcon 9 launched from Kennedy Space Center on Wednesday.
And Bezos’s Blue Origin company A rocket was successfully launched into orbit For the first time.
It was a big step forward for Bezos and his company that has spent years getting to the point of sending rockets into orbit.
