A SpaceX rocket exploded shortly after it was launched from Texas on Thursday, grounding flights and triggering warnings about falling spaceship debris.
SpaceX confirmed the un-crewed ship had suffered “a rapid unscheduled disassembly” during its ascent into space, and lost contact with the ground.
The massive SpaceX Starship, the largest rocket ever created, spun out of control shortly after its launch. No injuries or damage have been reported but images from those in Caribbean Sea island nations show fiery debris raining from the sky.
This was the eighth mission to test the rocket, and its second consecutive failure.
The 123m (403ft) spaceship was meant to re-enter Earth’s orbit over the Indian Ocean after a one-hour flight.
Its Super Heavy booster, which helps it leave the ground, did manage successfully to return to the launchpad.
SpaceX, which is owned by billionaire Elon Musk, said teams immediately started co-ordinating with safety officials for “pre-planned contingency responses”.
The statement added that SpaceX would review data “to better understand [the] root cause” of the misfire and noted the explosion happened after the loss of “several” engines.
“As always, success comes from what we learn, and today’s flight will offer additional lessons to improve Starship’s reliability.”
The statement says debris should have fallen within a pre-planned area and the rocket did not contain any toxic materials. The company also included an email and phone number for those who believe they’ve found any remnants of the craft.
Musk has yet to comment on Thursday’s explosion.
BBC
