Washington Even the fourth altitude test flight of the prototype Starship rocket, which is to transport people to Mars in the future, among other things, was not completely successful for SpaceX today. The prototype climbed to the planned height of ten kilometers, but during the descent to land it was destroyed. The test could be watched live on the Internet, but due to the thick fog, it was not possible to see what had happened. It’s not clear to SpaceX experts yet.
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VIDEO: The SpaceX rocket from SpaceX landed on the third attempt, but then exploded |
“Shortly after the ignition (engines) to land, something fundamental happened. We should find out what it was as soon as we can explore the wreckage today, “wrote the founder and head of SpaceX, Elon Musk, later on Twitter. He added that the second engine apparently had problems during the ascent, which then did not have the necessary ignition pressure during the descent.
The eleventh test prototype of the rocket called SN11 (Serial Number 11) took off today at 08:00 local time (15:00 CET). As in previous cases, he started from the SpaceX development and testing facility, located in Boca Chica on the Texas Gulf Coast near the Mexican border.
Today’s failure followed three previous test years, which, although they went well, ended in landing problems. In two cases, the SN8 and SN9 prototypes, which were tested in December and February, exploded on landing. A successful flight and landing completed the prototype SN10 on March 4, but shortly after landing also exploded.
Starship is the second stage of a developed rocket transport system that, according to SpaceX, will be able to transport more than a hundred tons of cargo into space at once or up to a hundred people on expeditions to Mars. The company named the first stage as Super Heavy, as it will be equipped with 35 Raptor engines. The second stage will have six engines and will be able to fly independently of the first stage. Like the Starship, the Super Heavy is to be reusable, which should significantly reduce the cost of space missions.
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