"Wow! Musk Accidentally Streams a Near Rocket Starship Abort Landing While Playing."

Elon Musk occasionally shares clips from his video game sessions on his social platform X. However, a recent clip includes background audio of a SpaceX engineer informing him about an issue during the latest Starship flight test, which was "one second" away from being aborted. This video, uploaded on Friday, was captured by a journalist, but it is unclear whether the conversation took place on the same day.

In the clip, while Musk was playing Diablo IV, the engineer, whose identity was not revealed, commented on an incorrect setup of a component that did not have the proper timing to increase the spin pressure in the rocket. He mentioned, "We were one second away from that causing an abort warning and making the rocket try to crash down beside the tower." Musk responded in surprise, saying, "Wow" and "Yikes."

The engineer also reported that just before the engine ignition during the booster’s return to Earth, a cover from the structure detached in a place that had been welded. "We wouldn't have predicted the exact spot, but this cover that broke was right above several critical valves that need to operate during landing. Fortunately, none of them or the harness were damaged, but this cover detached right as the burn for landing was starting. We have a plan to fix it," he explained.

Musk was being informed about the fifth integrated flight test of Starship, known as IFT-5, which took place on October 13. SpaceX set extremely ambitious mission objectives for this test, including the return of the Super Heavy booster to the launch site to be caught by a pair of large arms protruding from the tower.

Although the clip posted on X lasts about three minutes, not all the context of the conversation is fully understood. However, it shows that even rocket launches that appear perfect can be one step away from disaster. After each test, SpaceX receives a wealth of data from the flight that informs future assessments. "We are trying to reasonably balance speed and risk mitigation on the booster" before the next flight attempt, the engineer indicated. It's worth noting that this will be the first Starship flight test whose schedule will not be determined by the FAA. Although SpaceX generally outpaces the regulator in launch preparation, the FAA simultaneously approved the licenses for IFT-5 and IFT-6.