SpaceX's Starship Loses Control in Its Second Consecutive Failed Test Flight.
On Thursday, during a flight test, SpaceX's Starship lost control in space, marking the second consecutive launch in which the spacecraft experienced issues.
During a recent flight test, SpaceX's Starship lost control while in space, marking the second consecutive time the vehicle faced a fatal issue in its attempt to reach orbit. In response to the situation, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) temporarily suspended flight operations at major airports in Florida and diverted some routes as a precaution against potential "space launch debris." The FAA has requested that SpaceX conduct an investigation into the incident.
The launch was conducted using the Super Heavy rocket, and the first eight minutes proceeded normally. The spacecraft managed to separate and continue its ascent, while the rocket returned to the launch pad in Texas, where it was captured for the third time. However, around eight minutes and nine seconds after liftoff, SpaceX’s graphics indicated the loss of several Raptor engines. Onboard footage showed the spacecraft beginning to tumble over the ocean. Dan Huot, SpaceX's communications manager, commented during the broadcast that "we’ve seen some engines fail, it seems we’re losing control of the vehicle’s attitude." Later, contact with the Starship was lost.
Videos posted on social media showed the ship disintegrating over the Bahamas and the Dominican Republic minutes later. SpaceX announced that it "immediately began coordinating with safety officials to implement pre-established contingency responses." These consecutive explosions coincide with a tumultuous period for the company, as its CEO, Elon Musk, has been stirring unrest within the federal government of the U.S. through his Government Efficiency Department, including the assignment of employees to the FAA, the entity that oversees its flights.
SpaceX intended to launch four test versions of its Starlink satellites during this flight to advance toward its goal of using the Starship for commercial missions. The company has been developing the Starship through successive test flights to learn from both successes and failures. However, this new failure occurs just weeks after the seventh test flight, where the Starship also disintegrated in a spectacular display over the Turks and Caicos Islands, leading the FAA to divert several flights in the area.
Following that incident, SpaceX conducted an investigation that revealed a propellant leak inside the Starship, resulting in fires and loss of communication before the spacecraft's self-destruction. Prior to the recent test, SpaceX indicated that improvements had been made to the fuel lines of the Starship engines and that propellant conditions were modified, in addition to adding extra venting and a new purge system to reduce the risk of leaks. In previous tests, the Starship had experienced issues during its re-entry attempts into Earth's atmosphere, and after the seventh flight, changes were implemented to better prepare it for that phase.
The company expressed its focus on "finding the real limits of the Starship to eventually prepare for bringing the Starship back to the launch site and catching it," thus highlighting its commitment to the ongoing development of the vehicle.
