Since 2020, when SpaceX first tested the launch of the Starship spacecraft, several explosions have occurred both in the air and on the ground.
The Starship system exploded during a test flight on November 18. (Video: WSJ).
The Starship/Super Heavy system, a vehicle developed by SpaceX to realize Elon Musk’s dream of establishing a human settlement on Mars, exploded during testing on November 18, Business Insider reported. This was the second test of the combined system, which features the Starship mounted on top of the Super Heavy rocket, creating the most powerful launch system in the world. The test marked a new milestone as the system flew higher than before, and Starship successfully separated from the Super Heavy rocket for the first time, although Super Heavy exploded in the sky soon after.
Experts are currently unsure about the exact cause of the failure on November 18. However, the explosion of the rocket occurred after a phase known as “hot staging,” which SpaceX tested for the first time. This method is used to separate the Starship from the Super Heavy rocket after launch.
This was not the only explosion during the testing of the Starship/Super Heavy launch system. SpaceX first tested the launch and landing capability of Starship in 2020, and several prototypes exploded either during ascent or upon landing.
The launch and landing process of the Starship prototype SN8. (Video: SpaceX).
During the first test flight on December 9, 2020, the prototype Starship named SN8 ascended to about 11 kilometers above the testing site in Texas. It hovered for about 30 seconds before shutting off its engines and falling horizontally. SN8 attempted to reignite its engines in an effort to land vertically but failed. The vehicle crashed onto the concrete landing pad and exploded.
The next prototype, SN9, met a similar fate on February 2, 2021. This time, a faulty engine appeared to cause the vehicle to tilt and collide with the concrete pad, igniting the remaining fuel.
The third prototype, SN10, landed intact on March 3, 2021. However, some sparks appeared at the base of SN10, and about 10 minutes after landing, an unexpected explosion occurred, propelling the rocket into the air before it fell back to the ground.
The moment Starship SN10 exploded. (Video: SpaceX).
At the end of that month, on March 30, 2021, the prototype SN11 also exploded during SpaceX’s fourth attempt, creating a rain of debris. SpaceX ended the live broadcast before this occurred, but images from NASASpaceflight showed debris scattered around the launch pad, filled with smoke. Eventually, SpaceX successfully landed the fifth prototype without any explosions on May 5, 2021.
SpaceX may undergo a similar process with the Starship/Super Heavy system, and many more explosions could occur before this massive launch system reaches space. The test on November 18 was the second failure for this launch system. The previous test occurred about seven months earlier, where the Starship did not separate from the Super Heavy rocket, falling and exploding into a fireball about three minutes after launch.
