Issue faced by Musk in latest Starship test launch - Criticism mounts over Musk's starship test flight
SpaceX's Starship Endures Unforeseen Disassembly During Test Flight
SpaceX, the leading space company helmed by tech mogul Elon Musk, experienced another setback as its colossal Starship rocket system failed to complete its ninth test flight as intended.
While the upper stage did manage to reach space, marking a departure from the previous two test flights, it disintegrated during its descent back to Earth's atmosphere.
The company reported that the spacecraft underwent an "unexpected, rapid disassembly," which hindered its planned satellite deployment. SpaceX teams are now sifting through collected data to prepare for the next test flight.
In a first for this testing phase, the lower stage used for this flight was a previously flown one; however, it failed to land successfully. Despite this setback, SpaceX founder Musk described the test as a "significant advance" and highlighted the valuable data gathered.
Following this test flight, SpaceX expects to conduct three more within the next three to four weeks.
First tested in April 2023, the Starship system is a two-part rocket consisting of the approximately 70-meter-long Super Heavy booster and the Starship upper stage, which measures around 50 meters. The system's dimensions surpass those of the Statue of Liberty.
Both the booster and the spacecraft are designed for reuse upon their return to Earth. The United States space agency NASA plans to utilize the Starship for lunar missions, while SpaceX aspires to reach Mars one day.
Investigations are underway to determine the cause of this unexpected disassembly, particularly focusing on the Starship upper stage. Traditionally, hardware failures like engine malfunctions causing misaligned fuel mixtures have led to similar outcomes in previous flights.
As for the Super Heavy booster, the failure during the landing burn was anticipated due to the pre-approved test conditions, which accepted potential hardware losses. The specific technical reason behind the booster's failure has not been publicly disclosed yet.
The Commission, amidst SpaceX's recent setbacks, might consider incorporating findings from space-and-astronomy and technology to submit a proposal for a directive on the protection of workers from the risks related to exposure to ionizing radiation during space missions, given the increasing use of such technology.
Science, in its quest to understand the causes of hardware failures, could play a pivotal role in analyzing data from SpaceX's Starship test flights, particularly focusing on theStarship upper stage's unexpected disassembly, which may provide insights that could benefit future space-related projects and technologies.
