The prototype of the Starship rocket, the future company of SpaceX, two of them collided in a huge fireball at the end of the test flight, landed in Texas on Wednesday, but exploded on the ground a few minutes later.
“A wonderfully smooth landing,” commented the SpaceX test aircraft in a live broadcast video. However flames were visible at the base of the rocket, which were extinguished by teams on site. A few minutes later, a large explosion blew the craft into the air, scattering it as it fell to the ground. No immediate explanation was given.
Third sorbitol test
The vehicle is set to become the SpaceX test rocket founded by billionaire Elon Musk, which will one day fly to Mars. The prototype, named SN10 for the “Series No. 10”, set sail from Boca Chica, Texas for a third sub-test.
The engine soared into the sky, driven by three engines, one after the other, and the vehicle overturned to position itself in a horizontal position. Before reaching its descent it reached an altitude of 10 km, then the rocket returned to a vertical position, managed to land, incidentally at first glance, at the desired location.
The other two prototypes (SN8 and SN9) crashed in December, then in early February.
The tests take place in a desolate area south of Texas, near the border with Mexico, on the edge of the Gulf of Mexico that was leased by SpaceX – an area large enough to fail by accident or explosion. No damage, or any of the victims.
Elon Musk imagines one day many of these ships capturing Mars. But initially, the rocket, if it comes into operation, will be useful for close missions, especially to the moon.
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