SpaceX’s Starship rocket explodes, but officials laud successful launch
The upper-stage Starship did not separate from the lower-stage Super Heavy, and the combined vehicle was seen flipping before exploding
20 April 2023 - 16:52
byJoe Skipper and Steve Gorman
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SpaceX's next-generation Starship spacecraft atop its powerful Super Heavy rocket,Texas, US, April 20 2023. Picture: REUTERS/JOE SKIPPER.
Boca Chica, US — Elon Musk’s SpaceX on Thursday successfully launched its next-generation Starship cruise vessel for the first time atop the company’s powerful new Super Heavy rocket in an uncrewed test flight, which ended minutes later with the vehicle exploding in the sky.
The two-stage rocket ship, standing taller than the Statue of Liberty at 120m, blasted off from the company’s Starbase spaceport and test facility east of Brownsville, Texas, for what SpaceX hoped, at best, would be a 90-minute debut flight into space.
A live SpaceX webcast of the lift-off showed the rocket ship rising from the launch tower into the morning sky as the Super Heavy's raptor engines roared to life in a ball of flame and billowing clouds of exhaust and water vapour.
But less than four minutes into the flight, the upper-stage Starship failed to separate as designed from the lower-stage Super Heavy, and the combined vehicle was seen flipping end over end before exploding.
Nevertheless, SpaceX officials on the webcast cheered the feat of getting the fully integrated Starship and booster rocket off the ground for a clean launch and declared the brief episode a successful test flight.
Support our award-winning journalism. The Premium package (digital only) is R30 for the first month and thereafter you pay R129 p/m now ad-free for all subscribers.
SpaceX’s Starship rocket explodes, but officials laud successful launch
The upper-stage Starship did not separate from the lower-stage Super Heavy, and the combined vehicle was seen flipping before exploding
Boca Chica, US — Elon Musk’s SpaceX on Thursday successfully launched its next-generation Starship cruise vessel for the first time atop the company’s powerful new Super Heavy rocket in an uncrewed test flight, which ended minutes later with the vehicle exploding in the sky.
The two-stage rocket ship, standing taller than the Statue of Liberty at 120m, blasted off from the company’s Starbase spaceport and test facility east of Brownsville, Texas, for what SpaceX hoped, at best, would be a 90-minute debut flight into space.
A live SpaceX webcast of the lift-off showed the rocket ship rising from the launch tower into the morning sky as the Super Heavy's raptor engines roared to life in a ball of flame and billowing clouds of exhaust and water vapour.
But less than four minutes into the flight, the upper-stage Starship failed to separate as designed from the lower-stage Super Heavy, and the combined vehicle was seen flipping end over end before exploding.
Nevertheless, SpaceX officials on the webcast cheered the feat of getting the fully integrated Starship and booster rocket off the ground for a clean launch and declared the brief episode a successful test flight.
Reuters
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