SpaceX’s fourth test of giant moon rocket ends in another mishap
- The Starship SN-11 prototype failed to land safely, with cameras showing a burst of orange and pieces of debris crashing near the launch site
- The incident underscores the challenge facing SpaceX as it seeks to build a spacecraft capable of reaching the moon and Mars
SpaceX’s fourth test flight of its biggest rocket ended again in a mishap, sending smoking debris across the launch site and raising the prospect of more development hurdles for a vehicle designed to put humans on the moon and Mars.
The Starship SN-11 prototype lifted off in heavy fog at about 8am on Tuesday in Texas from SpaceX’s seaside launch pad near the Mexico border. The rocket then flew to an altitude of about 10km (6.2 miles) before shutting down its three Raptor engines to begin descent, based on live SpaceX video.
On the prototype’s way down, a rumbling noise developed and the video froze just after the ship was 1km from the landing pad. Cameras operated by news website NASASpaceflight.com recorded a burst of orange and pieces of debris crashing near the launch site.
“Something significant happened shortly after landing burn start,” SpaceX founder Elon Musk tweeted. “Should know what it was once we can examine the bits later today.”
The mishap underscored the challenge facing SpaceX as it seeks to build a spacecraft capable of reaching the moon and Mars. The previous Starship test, on March 3, touched down at a slight incline and was engulfed in flames less than a minute later. Two earlier attempts ended in fireballs. No people have been near the flight tests.
Since March 12, the Federal Aviation Administration has required an on-site inspector for each test flight.
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SpaceX Starship rocket explodes after landing, in third such incident
The next prototype, SN-15, will be at the launch pad in a few days with “hundreds of design improvements”, Musk tweeted. “Hopefully, one of those improvements covers this problem. If not, then retrofit will add a few more days,” he wrote.
