NEW YORK: Elon Musk’s SpaceX Starship rocket exploded and failed to reach orbit, moments after it was launched from South Texas on Thursday, New York Times reported.
Minutes after taking off from a launch pad in South Texas, the rocket appeared to have exploded above the Gulf of Mexico. Although the spacecraft was unable to enter orbit, this failure was not fatal.
Liftoff from Starbase pic.twitter.com/rgpc2XO7Z9
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) April 20, 2023
Elon Musk, the company’s founder, had tempered expectations prior to the launch stating that it might take several tries for Starship to be successful at this test flight, which was intended to reach speeds high enough to enter orbit before crashing down in the Pacific Ocean close to Hawaii.
Recently, the first launch of SpaceX’s Starship was called off at the last minute on Monday after a pressurisation issue arose in the first stage, reported CNN. The scheduled launch of the most powerful rocket ever constructed was been scrubbed after engineers could not troubleshoot a pressurisation issue with the massive Super Heavy booster in time. It was SpaceX’s first attempt to launch its Starship rocket after years of testing.
Chief executive officer (CEO) Elon Musk had described Starship as the vehicle that underpins SpaceX’s founding purpose — sending humans to Mars for the first time. The inaugural flight test was to complete nearly one full lap of the planet, ending with a splashdown off Hawaii. (ANI)