SpaceX’s Starship Prototype Explodes On Landing after test launch

SpaceX’s Mars rocket Starship exploded on return landing following a test flight on Wednesday. The test launch of the prototype of a rocket that Elon Musk dreams of sending people to Mars took place along the Texas coast. It flew several miles high but in attempting to land, it hit the ground too fast and exploded.

“Fuel header tank pressure was low during landing burn, causing touchdown velocity to be high & RUD, but we got all the data we needed! Congrats SpaceX team hell yeah!!,” SpaceX’s chief executive officer, Elon Musk, said in a tweet.

Fuel header tank pressure was low during landing burn, causing touchdown velocity to be high & RUD, but we got all the data we needed! Congrats SpaceX team hell yeah!!

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 9, 2020

Space X also shared a landing flip manoeuvre video from its Twitter handle:

Starship landing flip maneuver pic.twitter.com/QuD9HwZ9CX

— SpaceX (@SpaceX) December 10, 2020

The test flight was planned to check the huge metal body of SN8 (Starship number 8) and its three engines. The test was for their aerodynamics, including during the ship’s return to Earth.

SpaceX has become successful in the launch business. It is the world’s most valuable privately held company. Their Falcon 9 rockets have become a dominant workhorse for sending satellites to orbit. It routinely transports cargo to the International Space Station. It has also lifted NASA astronauts there twice this year.

Since 2019, SpaceX has launched hundreds of satellites to low-earth orbit to build a constellation called Starlink. They aim to provide high-speed internet service from space.

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