Elon Musk's SpaceX's Starship exploded into a ball of fire

hollydolly

hollydolly

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The world's largest and most powerful rocket – which was unmanned - lifted off in South Texas and successfully cleared the launchpad, its first milestone.

But the craft was sent into a tailspin when the rocket failed to separate over the Gulf of Mexico. The mission ended at around four minutes when the failure sent the craft crashing toward Earth, imploding mid-descent.

Despite the craft going up in flames, the team at SpaceX reportedly cracked out champagne bottles and chanted 'go Starship' after the explosion.

The companies leadership - including Musk - has repeatedly stressed the experimental nature of the launch and said any result that involved Starship getting off the launchpad would be a success.

The mission was always due to end with the destruction of the Starship rocket, which was supposed to orbit the earth for about an hour before crashing into the Pacific.
But any setbacks will still be hugely expensive. Musk has said the entire program will cost anywhere from $3 billion to $10 billion.

But Musk himself was braced for a failed launch, claiming last month that there was a 50 percent chance his spacecraft could explode during the test flight.

The billionaire congratulated the SpaceX team on Twitter about 20 minutes after the craft went up in flames.

Click here for video..

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/science...ay-frozen-valve-thwarted-earlier-attempt.html
 

NASA blew up a lot of rockets in the late 50"s and early 60's until they got it worked out. Expensive firecrackers but I accept that is part of the rocket development game.
 
Lee said:
All these problems here on earth and some are worried about an exploding rocket Yikes!

Think of how many people could have been fed with that experiment.
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The same can be said of air-flight, Lee. Think Hindenburg and poor Thomas Selfridge, one of the first plane pilots. There have been railroad disasters, subway disasters, cargo ship losses, and countless vehicular deaths. But all modes of transportation have greatly benefited mankind and whole societies.

Space travel and exploration is no exception. We have and will benefit from it in a number of ways, maybe even our own preservation.
 
Murrmurr said:
Space travel and exploration is no exception.
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I think it is, far too much energy to get a person into space; just basic physics, only changeable if we can alter gravity... Add to that the cost of life support and all, I just don't see that it will ever make economic sense. Could be wrong, but I'm skeptical.
Murrmurr said:
We have and will benefit from it in a number of ways
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Yeah, like Tang...

I'm just skeptical of manned space travel, we have greatly benefited from unmanned satellites and travel. Whole different deal from manned.
 
Looks like the first stage worked OK which is no small accomplishment, but I'll bet they slap their forehead when they figure out why it didn't separate from the rest. That seems like a relatively simple part of the flight.
 
Fairly well unimpressed here. A 50/50 chance of planning for launch success is also a 50/50 chance or planning for launch failure. It is no plan at all. Unless, of course, the plan all along was for failure. And a corresponding increase in government funding. Memo's probably already went out on that.

Of course, the launch crew is glad-handing it. For a generation raised on getting participation trophies, a failed launch gets at least a 'been there' button. Maybe even a T-shirt. Fortunately, no one got injured in the debacle. Except all that launch junk adds to the pollution of the Gulf. But, who cares? It'll sink out of sight, out of mind.

Cynical? Yes. Far as I'm concerned it's all a big-time con and grift for more taxpayer money.
 
Alligatorob
What we are seeing right now is the torch being passed on from government space programs to the private sector. The governments will/is use space for military endeavors for national security. The private sector will/is use space for asteroid and planet mining of precious metals and other goodies. A lot of money to be made in space and probably a few wars. If we are still here. JMO
 
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Reading now the extensive damage this launch did to its own launch pad. To include a debris field far beyond the launch area. Speculating here, but suspect also significant environmental and climatic disruption as yet unknown but lurking as a possible hazard to a least the local if not regional population.

Gets me to thinking a rocket large enough to get a payload off the earth to either the Moon or Mars is just too big to build and launch from our planet. At least with existing technology. Better to construct the Musk Starship in orbit, much like the ISS was. Another benefit would be it would take less thrust to break it free from Earth's gravity-freeing up even more internal area for cargo or people.
 
12.10 pm thursday 27th april oz - you do realize he is Yes, Elon Musk has admitted to having Asperger's, a form of Autism Spectrum Disorder. - should not be allowed to do these things too risky - needs certifying!
 
ArnoldC said:
Reading now the extensive damage this launch did to its own launch pad. To include a debris field far beyond the launch area. Speculating here, but suspect also significant environmental and climatic disruption as yet unknown but lurking as a possible hazard to a least the local if not regional population.

Gets me to thinking a rocket large enough to get a payload off the earth to either the Moon or Mars is just too big to build and launch from our planet. At least with existing technology. Better to construct the Musk Starship in orbit, much like the ISS was. Another benefit would be it would take less thrust to break it free from Earth's gravity-freeing up even more internal area for cargo or people.
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Regarding the second paragraph ....... Why not ? It was done 50+ years ago with the technology then. Didn't hurt anyone on the ground , and put three men into orbit, two of them going to the moon.
 
Lee said:
All these problems here on earth and some are worried about an exploding rocket Yikes!

Think of how many people could have been fed with that experiment.
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The same billionaire that lost this rocket could be that same one that is relaying the internet you're using with one of his successful satellite launches. He's also employing people.
 
A billionaire loses a rocket and a country loses a lunar lander. Japan's attempt to land on the moon apparently fails after losing communication with lander.

https://www.cnn.com/2023/04/25/world/lunar-lander-japan-uae-hakuto-r-scn/index.html

They'll learn too. Having the knowledge and experience via history is still different than actually practically applying that. But unlike the better part of a decade it took the US Japan's next attempt should be a success.
 
Yes, the filty rich do have their problems. Their problems might be different but they are still problems. Just like you and me! Oh, and they die too!
 
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