SpaceX, the space company led by Elon Musk, attempted the first Earth orbit test flight of its large spacecraft 'Starship' on the 20th (local time), but unfortunately failed due to an explosion during the flight.
SpaceX launched Starship at 8:33 a.m. (local time) from the space launch facility 'Starbase' on the Boca Chica beach in southern Texas, USA. However, immediately after liftoff, the propulsion system did not separate properly, causing Starship to spin uncontrollably. The SpaceX team, who were live streaming the event, also stated, "This does not seem to be a normal situation." Ultimately, Starship exploded over the Gulf of Mexico about four minutes after launch.
Starship is a spacecraft developed to send humans and cargo to the Moon and Mars. It has a total length of 120 meters and a payload capacity of 100 to 150 tons. No astronauts were on board during this test flight, and no cargo was loaded.
SpaceX emphasized that "the launch itself should be considered meaningful." This was the first attempt at a full orbital flight combining Starship with the first-stage rocket Super Heavy. Musk had previously indicated that several attempts might be necessary before a successful Starship test flight. Major foreign media reported that although Starship did not reach orbit, the failure was not catastrophic.
Earlier, on the morning of the 17th, SpaceX had planned to launch Starship but postponed the test flight shortly before countdown due to an issue with the rocket booster pressurization system.
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