SpaceX launches Starship, but propellant explodes; company lost contact with the ship

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Billionaire Elon Musk’s company admitted that the explosion was not planned, but said the test will make the ship more reliable. Mission was an experiment for future missions to the Moon and Mars. SpaceX launches Starship, the most powerful ship in the world SpaceX, owned by billionaire Elon Musk, launched this Saturday (18) Starship, considered the most powerful ship in the world. After takeoff, the space vehicle’s propellant exploded, and the company lost contact with the capsule. There was no crew. The explosion of the Super Heavy propellant (lower part of the ship) occurred about three minutes after launch, after it separated from the Starship capsule (upper part). SpaceX admitted this was unscheduled, but said it was aware of the possibility of an incident. “The booster underwent a rapid unscheduled disassembly shortly after stage separation, while the spacecraft’s engines ran for several minutes on its way to space,” the company said. “With a test like this, success comes from what we learn, and today’s test will help us improve Starship’s reliability as SpaceX seeks to make life multiplanetary.” There were no injuries or damage to public property as a result of the accident, the United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reported. The agency said it will oversee SpaceX’s investigation into the accident. See the moment Starship’s thruster explodes Shortly after the explosion, SpaceX quality engineering manager Katy Tice cited hot-staging, a technique that the company used for the first time. The method involves turning on the capsule’s engines while it is still attached to the propellant. The engines were activated successfully, but it could be related to the explosion, as suggested by the company. In April, another Starship spacecraft failed before the separation of the two stages, which forced the company to activate a system to explode the rocket. Starship propellant explosion Reproduction Loss of contact with the spacecraft About 10 minutes after launch, the company reported that it lost contact with the capsule. “We lost data from the second stage. We think we may have lost the second stage,” said SpaceX integration engineer John Insprucker. The broadcast then ended, and SpaceX has not provided further details about the flight since. The company’s expectation was that Starship would make a journey lasting around 1h30, landing in the Pacific Ocean. The objective of Musk’s company is that the test will contribute to future missions to the Moon and Mars. “This is another opportunity to place Starship in a real flight environment, maximizing how much we learn”, said the company, before the mission. Elon Musk accompanied the launch of Starship together with the SpaceX team Reproduction Even with the unforeseen events, the mission was celebrated by Elon Musk “Congratulations, SpaceX team!” said the billionaire on his profile on X (formerly Twitter). NASA administrator Bill Nelson also congratulated the company and stated that it will help the American space agency take humanity to Moon, Mars and beyond. “Space aviation is a bold adventure that requires entrepreneurial spirit and bold innovation. Today’s test is an opportunity to learn and then fly again,” he said. See images of the launch and then more details about the mission. Starship launch Reproduction Spacecraft takes off in the USA Reproduction Starship launch Reproduction Starship launch Reproduction Moment in which the Starship modules separate Reproduction What went wrong on the first attempt? Starship’s first launch, carried out in April, ended with the ship exploding three minutes after takeoff. SpaceX explained that some engines shut down during the flight and that, therefore, it was necessary to turn on a rocket destruction system. “The vehicle had several engines shut down during the flight test, lost altitude and began to fall. The flight termination system was activated in both the propeller and the spacecraft,” the company said at the time. SpaceX had no plans to reuse Starship and celebrated having achieved the main objective of getting the spacecraft off the ground. Starship rocket explodes after launch The United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) concluded its investigation into the accident in September. The agency took 63 corrective actions, including changes to the ship to prevent leaks and fires, as well as adjustments to the launch platform. On Wednesday (15), the FAA reported that it authorized Starship’s new mission. The agency said “SpaceX has met all safety, environmental, political and financial responsibility requirements” to carry out the new mission. Why is flying important? Starship is “designed to transport crew and cargo to orbit around the Earth, the Moon, Mars and beyond,” says SpaceX. The company has a contract to carry out cargo flights in the Artemis program, a series of missions that NASA plans to return humans to the Moon. Plans for Starship also include two flights that will take artists around the Moon in flights of about one week each. One of them will carry Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa and artists invited by him, and the other has American businessman Dennis Tito and his wife Akiko Tito as its first passengers. What is the Starship ship like? Starship is described by SpaceX as “the world’s most powerful launch vehicle.” See more about the spacecraft: It is 120 meters tall (including Starship spacecraft and Super Heavy propellant) and 9 meters in diameter It can carry up to 100 people It is designed to be reusable, just like other SpaceX ships It has the capacity to transport up to 250 tons, if it can be discarded after a mission, and 150 tons, when it needs to be reused It has been tested since 2019 (without the Super Heavy propellant), but the first successful landing only took place in 2021 It will be used in NASA’s Artemis 3 mission, which will take astronauts back to the surface of the Moon in 2025 Its first three missions will be carried out with space tourists, two of which will take a walk around the Moon In the future, it could be used to transport people and cargo to Mars, according to SpaceX Get to know the Starship, spacecraft that SpaceX will use on flights around the Moon Starship Arte/ g1

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