Starship Bursts in ‘meteor shower’ of Debris
SpaceX's Starship rocket experienced an explosion during a test flight, leading to the destruction of the spacecraft, as confirmed by company representatives. Read Full Article at RT.com
TroibNews 
Elon Musk’s giant rocket experienced a “rapid unscheduled disassembly” during its latest test launch, leading to the destruction of the spacecraft, as confirmed by SpaceX representatives. Observers captured videos of the rocket fracturing and igniting mid-air, creating a visually striking scene akin to a meteor shower.
The test flight took place on Thursday afternoon at the SpaceX Starbase facility located in Boca Chica, Texas. It was designed to demonstrate the rocket's capabilities, including its capacity to launch ten dummy satellites into orbit.
While the Super Heavy booster made a successful return to the launch pad and was caught by the mechanical arms of the launch tower—an accomplishment achieved only once before—the Starship spacecraft faced engine shutdowns during its ascent.
Communication was lost around eight and a half minutes into the flight, leading to what the company characterizes as a “rapid unscheduled disassembly” of the spacecraft.
“It was great to see a booster come down, but we are obviously bummed out about the ship,” said SpaceX spokesman Dan Huot regarding the incident. “It’s a flight test. It’s an experimental vehicle.”
SpaceX CEO Elon Musk posted one of the videos on social media, though he has not confirmed whether the rocket in question was indeed his, nor has he commented on the event.
This incident occurs during a highly competitive time in the private space industry. On the same day, Blue Origin, founded by Jeff Bezos, launched its New Glenn rocket from Cape Canaveral, Florida. Although the rocket's upper stage successfully reached orbit, the first-stage booster failed to land on a recovery ship, resulting in its destruction.
Standing at 400 feet, SpaceX’s Starship is the largest and most powerful rocket in existence. Under Elon Musk's leadership, the company aims to utilize Starship for deploying Starlink satellites and ultimately transporting crews to the Moon and Mars.
Thomas Evans contributed to this report for TROIB News
The test flight took place on Thursday afternoon at the SpaceX Starbase facility located in Boca Chica, Texas. It was designed to demonstrate the rocket's capabilities, including its capacity to launch ten dummy satellites into orbit.
While the Super Heavy booster made a successful return to the launch pad and was caught by the mechanical arms of the launch tower—an accomplishment achieved only once before—the Starship spacecraft faced engine shutdowns during its ascent.
Communication was lost around eight and a half minutes into the flight, leading to what the company characterizes as a “rapid unscheduled disassembly” of the spacecraft.
“It was great to see a booster come down, but we are obviously bummed out about the ship,” said SpaceX spokesman Dan Huot regarding the incident. “It’s a flight test. It’s an experimental vehicle.”
SpaceX CEO Elon Musk posted one of the videos on social media, though he has not confirmed whether the rocket in question was indeed his, nor has he commented on the event.
This incident occurs during a highly competitive time in the private space industry. On the same day, Blue Origin, founded by Jeff Bezos, launched its New Glenn rocket from Cape Canaveral, Florida. Although the rocket's upper stage successfully reached orbit, the first-stage booster failed to land on a recovery ship, resulting in its destruction.
Standing at 400 feet, SpaceX’s Starship is the largest and most powerful rocket in existence. Under Elon Musk's leadership, the company aims to utilize Starship for deploying Starlink satellites and ultimately transporting crews to the Moon and Mars.
Thomas Evans contributed to this report for TROIB News
