Wednesday, December 9, 2020

SpaceX Starship Explodes After Attempted Landing

Hawthorne, California-based rocket developer SpaceX conducted a high-altitude, suborbital flight of its Starship spacecraft on Wednesday, successfully launching the vehicle to high altitudes--but ending with a spectacular explosion of the Starship just as it reached the ground. The test, of Starship serial number 8, was designed to test the performance of the Raptor engines, the aerodynamic entry capabilities, and "landing flip" maneuver for the spacecraft--all of which seemed to work, until the spectacular explosion at the SpaceX site in Cameron County, Texas. The aftermath of the explosion left a burning impact crater at the landing location. SpaceX intends to eventually use the Starship to send humans to Mars. Elon Musk, in a tweet, said he considered the high altitude test a success, despite the RUD ("rapid unplanned disassembly").