Why SpaceX’s spacecraft exploded and why the company considers it a successful mission

The launch of the world’s most powerful rocket was a success, at least for a few minutes. Four minutes after takeoff, Elon Musk’s spacecraft exploded after leaving the SpaceX launch site in South Texas.

After the much-anticipated launch, Starship experienced problems with the detachment mechanism. This caused the missile to spin shortly after it lifted off the ground and burst into flames within four minutes. If the separation had been successful, the spacecraft, which had six of its own engines, should have continued its ascent to an altitude of more than 150 kilometers before falling into the Pacific Ocean after almost completing a full circle of the Earth. passed.

The purpose of this test flight was to collect as much data as possible to improve the following prototypes.

The cause of the explosion is still not very clear, but during this day and after analyzing the details of the flight carried out in the morning, the SpaceX engineers also believe that at least three of the spacecraft’s 33 engines were “off” during launch. Despite Starship’s “unplanned rapid disassembly,” his team thought the field was ‘incredible’.

But going through all these steps during the first test flight would have been quite an achievement.

The explosion occurred when the bottom half of the rocket, known as the Super Heavy Booster, failed to separate from the top half of the rocket. The escape mechanism is designed to allow the top half of the spacecraft to go into space on its own. Obviously, this process was supposed to take place a little over two minutes after launch, but instead the rocket started spinning rapidly. The moment this got out of hand, the Starship was blown to pieces. As a result, the missile missed subsequent tests, including an engine fire test, Super Heavy skill test, and an eventual landing.

Despite this, Musk tweeted, “Congratulations to the SpaceX team on an exciting Starship test launch! We have learned a lot for the next test launch in a few months.”

SpaceX also took heart by tweeting, “With a test like this, success comes from what we learn, and today’s test will help us improve Starship’s reliability as SpaceX aims to make life multiplanetary.” An engineer added: “You never know what’s going to happen,” the spacecraft did not disappoint with an exciting conclusion to the test.

to mars

The spaceship, which was built to deliver the first astronauts to Mars by 2030, is part of billionaire Elon Musk’s larger vision to become a “multi-planetary species,” first by starting a human colony on Mars. and even reaching the point where cities are built. .

Currently, no spacecraft is capable of sending humans to Mars.

Musk’s idea is that if there ever was a global apocalypse on Earth, humanity would have a better chance if people lived on different worlds in our solar system.

If successful, the spacecraft could carry up to 100 people to the red planet on a journey that takes about nine months.

The United States Space Agency, NASA chose the Starship spacecraft to carry astronauts to the moon for the first time since the end of the Apollo program in 1972. The mission, known as Artemis III, is scheduled to launch in late 2025.

NASA Chief Bill Nelson praised SpaceX. “Every great achievement in history requires a certain level of calculated risk,” he tweeted, saying he was “looking forward” to the next test.

At 120 meters, Starship was larger than NASA’s new SLS mega rocket (98 m), launched for the first time in November, and the legendary Saturn V, the Apollo lunar program rocket (111 m).

Starship consisted of a powerful first stage, called Super Heavy and equipped with 33 engines, and a second stage, the Starship spacecraft, which, by extension, gave the entire rocket its name.