SpaceX's upgraded Starship rocket, developed by billionaire Elon Musk, caught fire and exploded into a fireball after landing in the Indian Ocean during its latest test flight.
This test marked the 12th flight of the Starship program and was the maiden flight of the Starship V3 version, a major upgrade featuring improvements to the engine system, heat shield, and rocket structure to support future missions including satellite launches, crewed lunar return, and Mars exploration plans.
The rocket was launched from Starbase in Texas, USA, after a one-day delay due to technical issues at the launch pad. The mission lasted about 66 minutes and successfully reached its target above the Indian Ocean.
During the mission, Starship deployed 22 simulated Starlink satellites and tested several new systems, such as an improved heat shield and the new Raptor engines.
However, during the flight, one of the Raptor engines reportedly malfunctioned and shut down mid-flight, forcing the system to compensate with the remaining engines.
Although the vehicle reentered Earth's atmosphere and touched down on the water surface as planned, live footage showed Starship caught fire and exploded shortly after contacting the seawater, creating a large fireball in the middle of the Indian Ocean.
SpaceX stated that the post-landing explosion was expected because this mission focused on testing atmospheric reentry and landing rather than recovering the vehicle for reuse.
The Starship program has encountered multiple issues and explosions during previous tests, especially involving fuel leaks, pressure systems, and engine failures, which SpaceX describes as part of developing the world's most complex giant rocket technology.
Starship is central to SpaceX's space exploration plans. NASA has selected this vehicle for the Artemis program to return humans to the Moon by the end of this decade, while Elon Musk aims to use Starship for future crewed missions to establish settlements on Mars.
Source:BBC
Click to read more aboutInternational news