On Tuesday, a SpaceX Starship exploded after, what appeared to be, a flawless test flight after launching from Texas. The last time it happened, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk called it an explosive success. That was back in December.
What You Need To Know
- Starship explodes on landing after test flight in Texas
- It was the second time the spacecraft blew up in three months
- Starship is designed to bring humans and cargo to the moon and Mars
- Scroll down to re-watch Starship SN9's flight test
Tuesday's launch involved the un-crewed prototype Starship SN9 for a rocket that the company hopes will carry the first humans to Mars. The spacecraft flew to an altitude of about six miles before attempting a controlled descent back to the ground.
That’s when it ran into trouble. When it fell back to the launch pad in Texas, it burst into a fireball upon landing.
According to the FAA, Tuesday's flight met all safety criteria and the agency is looking into what caused the mishap.
Starship maneuvers for landing after test flight in Texas on February 2, 2021 (SpaceX/YouTube)
In November, the top portion of a Starship exploded during a ground test at SpaceX's Boca Chica facility.
One of the Starship's production facilities is located in Cocoa Florida, and Elon Musk paid a visit back in August.
Starship is ultimately designed to be a reusable rocket that can bring humans and large amounts of cargo to the moon and eventually to Mars.
In fact, Musk has called it the "gateway to Mars."