Prototype of new SpaceX rocket Starship explodes on Texas test pad
Also: SpaceX Starship SN4 prototype explodes in dramatic fireball (Teslarati)
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Source: Reuters
SCIENCE NEWS MAY 29, 2020 / 4:31 PM / UPDATED 3 HOURS AGO
Prototype of new SpaceX rocket Starship explodes on Texas test pad
Joey Roulette
2 MIN READ
(Reuters) - A prototype of SpaceX’s upcoming heavy-lift rocket, Starship, exploded on Friday during ground tests in south Texas as Elon Musk’s space company pursued an aggressive development schedule to fly the launch vehicle for the first time.
The testing explosion was unrelated to SpaceX’s upcoming launch of two NASA astronauts from Florida’s Kennedy Space Center using a different rocket system, the Falcon 9 with the Crew Dragon capsule fixed on top.
A prototype vanished in an explosive fireball at SpaceX’s Boca Chica test site on Friday, as seen in a livestream recorded by the website NASA Spaceflight. There was no immediate indication of injuries. SpaceX did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Starship, a rocket standing 394 feet tall, is designed to carry humans and 100 tons of cargo to the moon and Mars. It is the space company’s planned next-generation fully reusable launch vehicle, the center of Musk’s ambitions to make human space travel affordable.
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Read more: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-space-exploration-spacex-explosion/prototype-of-new-spacex-rocket-starship-explodes-on-texas-test-pad-idUSKBN235319
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Source: Teslarati
SpaceX Starship SN4 prototype explodes in dramatic fireball
By Amy Thompson Posted on May 29, 2020
SpaceX’s latest Starship prototype, SN4, exploded today following a static fire test. The explosion happened around 1:49 p.m. CDT (11849 GMT), at the company’s testing site in South Texas. The incident produced a massive fireball, which erupted about a minute after the brief static fire test.
Today’s test is the fifth static fire test of this particular prototype, and the second this week. On May 28, the prototype successfully fired up for its fourth test and everything seemed to go as planned. No word yet on what caused today’s anomaly.
SpaceX was gearing up for a hop test of this particular prototype, with the craft expected to take flight on Monday, June 1. SpaceX received approval from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) yesterday for the upcoming test flight, during which the craft will soar to 500 feet (150 meters).
SN4 is the latest prototype in a series of developmental craft that SpaceX has been building as it designs its Starship rocket. Each prototype has met a similar fiery end, with one having already completed a short hop. SN4 has survived longer than any of its predecessors, but luckily SpaceX has its next iteration nearly complete.
Dubbed SN5, that vehicle will complete the company’s next round of tests. ...
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Read more: https://www.teslarati.com/spacex-starship-sn4-prototype-explosion-fireball/
