Musk's Starship rocket 'lost' after 8.5 minutes into flight
SpaceX's Starship Test Flight Faces Setback
On Thursday, SpaceX's Starship launch system embarked on its seventh uncrewed test flight, marking the program's most ambitious attempt yet. The upgraded megarocket successfully lifted off, but 8.5 minutes into the flight, the Starship spacecraft was lost. SpaceX reported a "rapid unscheduled disassembly" during the ascent, a term they use for an explosion. Despite the setback, SpaceX emphasized the importance of learning from the test to improve Starship's reliability.
The spacecraft had reached an altitude of 90 miles and was traveling at 13,200 miles per hour before telemetry was lost. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reported flight delays at Miami and Fort Lauderdale airports due to a "rocket launch anomaly" and falling debris. Normal operations resumed shortly after.
SpaceX founder Elon Musk shared an image of the debris, humorously noting "entertainment is guaranteed!" He later explained that a leak in the ship's engine area likely caused the issue, and improvements are already underway for the next launch, expected next month.
SpaceX's Response and Future Plans
SpaceX spokesperson Dan Huot confirmed the loss of the vehicle during a live stream, noting engine issues prior to the expected cutoff. Musk stated that improved versions of the ship and booster are ready for the next launch, with plans to address leaks and enhance fire suppression systems.
Doubts Revealed
SpaceX
SpaceX is a company that makes rockets and spacecraft. It was started by Elon Musk and aims to make space travel cheaper and easier.
Starship
Starship is a big spaceship being built by SpaceX. It is designed to take people and cargo to places like the Moon and Mars.
Elon Musk
Elon Musk is a famous businessman who started companies like SpaceX and Tesla. He wants to help humans live on other planets.
Uncrewed test flight
An uncrewed test flight means the spacecraft is flying without any people on board. It's done to test how the spacecraft works.
Rapid unscheduled disassembly
This is a funny way to say that the spacecraft exploded. It means something went wrong and the spacecraft broke apart.
Telemetry
Telemetry is the data sent from the spacecraft to people on the ground. It helps them know how the spacecraft is doing.
FAA
FAA stands for Federal Aviation Administration. It's a group in the USA that makes rules for flying to keep everyone safe.
Debris
Debris means pieces of something that has broken apart. In this case, it's parts of the spacecraft that fell back to Earth.
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