[TechWeb] June 19 - According to foreign media reports, the large launch vehicle system Starship developed by SpaceX, under the leadership of Elon Musk, has conducted nine test flights since April 2023. Although there have been advancements and multiple entries into space, with the booster successfully performing "grabbing the rocket" style recovery twice, except for the fourth and fifth tests, the remaining seven tests encountered various problems, including explosions before the first and second stage separation, explosions of the booster and spacecraft, and loss of contact with the spacecraft.
According to the latest reports from foreign media, Starship, which has had seven unsuccessful test flights, experienced another accident during the test on Wednesday. An explosion occurred during a static fire test, causing flames to burst forth instantly.
As reported by foreign media, the explosion on Wednesday involved Starship 36, which was undergoing a static fire test at the testing base in Texas. The incident occurred around 11 p.m.
SpaceX has already disclosed the news of the explosion on Starship through social media and stated that it was preparing for the 10th test flight. A safety isolation zone was set up around the base during the test. There were no injuries among personnel during the accident, and there was no danger to the surrounding community. However, they still reminded the public nearby to stay away from the test area.
The static fire test is a crucial process before rocket launches. The rocket is fixed on the ground with its engines ignited, serving as the final system check before launch. Since the explosion of Starship 36 during the static fire test, the 10th test flight of Starship has also been affected. SpaceX has suspended preparations before the test flight.
Starship is the most powerful system developed by SpaceX, capable of carrying up to 100 people for long-duration flights, with the booster being reusable.
As reported by foreign media previously, Starship has conducted nine test flights since 2023. The first one in April 2023 resulted in an explosion before the first and second stage separation; the second one in November also saw the first and second stages separate successfully, but the booster and spacecraft subsequently exploded.
In 2024, Starship conducted four test flights. The third flight in March saw the successful separation of the first and second stages, but the second stage lost contact while re-entering the atmosphere. During the fourth flight in June, the first and second stages separated successfully, and the "Starship" body splashed down in the Indian Ocean. Although Musk claimed this launch was a great achievement, the heat shield fell off and the wing was burned during atmospheric entry. The fifth flight in October saw Starship attempt to capture the booster mid-air using the launch tower's robotic arm for recovery. In the sixth flight in November, the "chopsticks-style" recovery did not occur again.
In January this year, Starship conducted its seventh test flight. The first-stage Super Heavy booster was successfully recovered, once again performing the "grabbing the rocket" style recovery, but the second stage then lost contact with the ground. The eighth flight in March saw the rocket ignite and ascend smoothly, with the first-stage Super Heavy booster completing recovery, but the second stage exploded again. On May 27, the ninth test flight of Starship saw the second stage of the rocket lose control and disintegrate after entering space, while the booster exploded during landing. (Hailan)
Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7517592512807256602/
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