Giant SpaceX rocket blast off fails for the ninth time, resulting in an explosion over the Indian Ocean. - Giant SpaceX rocket detonates over the expanse of the Indian Ocean
SpaceX's Giant Rocket Explodes Over Indian Ocean During Ninth Test Flight
A sixth failure has befallen SpaceX's Starship rocket during its ninth test flight, culminating in an explosion over the Indian Ocean. The 123-meter-tall spacecraft lifted off from SpaceX's Starbase in Texas at 18:36 local time (01:36 CET) and went further than in the previous two attempts, but the mission ended prematurely due to a loss of control.
Early signs of trouble became apparent during the test flight, as the first stage of the rocket exploded instead of landing in the Gulf of Mexico as planned. Furthermore, the top stage of the rocket encountered problems with door deployment, causing the payload of Starlink satellite dummies to remain undelivered.
SpaceX revealed that the control center encountered difficulties maintaining the rocket's orientation, likely resulting in its burning up in the atmosphere and crashing into the Indian Ocean. The flight, initially slated for 66 minutes, ended abruptly after about 45 minutes when the onboard cameras stopped functioning. To mitigate the impact of the expected explosion, SpaceX teams drained the rocket of its remaining fuel.
While the Starship aims to revolutionize space travel by being a fully reusable and cost-effective rocket, the latest failure brings the total number of successful test flights to just four out of eight attempts. Previous incidents included the top stage exploding over the Bahamas and debris striking the Turks and Caicos Islands in the Caribbean during the seventh test flight. SpaceX's optimistic founder, Elon Musk, has announced plans to speed up the test flight schedule, with one expected approximately every three to four weeks.
In a statement on its online service X, SpaceX described the catastrophic failure as a "rapid unplanned disassembly." They acknowledged the setback but emphasized their intent to learn from it and continue developing their technologies. The precise cause of the failure remains under investigation.
The failed ninth test flight of SpaceX's Starship rocket, which exploded over the Indian Ocean, is a significant setback in the path towards revolutionizing space travel with reusable and cost-effective rockets. This incident underscores the crucial role that science, technology, and space-and-astronomy play in driving forward these advancements. Tesla CEO Elon Musk, the optimistic founder of SpaceX, has expressed plans to accelerate test flight schedules to every three to four weeks to foster quicker learning and development.
