SpaceX Prototype Rocket Blasts Off But Crashes In Fireball On Landing

Washington: A prototype of the future giant SpaceX rocket Starship, in which Elon Musk hopes to send people to Mars, crashed in a fiery explosion during a test launch along the Texas coast Wednesday, media reports said,

That was the latest test, partly successful, in the development of next-generation spacecraft built by SpaceX, Musk’s rocket company. SpaceX’s live broadcast showed the smoldering remains of the rocket, named Starship, at the company’s test site in southern Texas. “Awesome test,” read text across the screen of the broadcast after the fiery conclusion. “Congratulations, Starship team!”

The stainless steel spacecraft lifted off from a launchpad at 5:45 p.m. After reaching its apogee, it started falling, as planned, tipping over in a controlled glide back to Earth. Near the ground, it righted itself back to a vertical orientation and fired its three engines to slow down — but not enough. Upon impact, about 6 minutes, 40 seconds after liftoff, it disintegrated in a fireball, leaving a cloud of smoke rising over the test site, reported The Deccan Herald.

Wednesday’s test launch took off and ascended properly in a seemingly straight line, before one and then another of its engines went out. After 4 minutes and 45 seconds of flight, its third engine extinguished and the rocket began its descent in its expected position.

The engines were restarted just seconds before landing in an effort to slow the ship, but it crashed hard into the Earth, NDTV reported.

The engines were restarted just seconds before landing in an effort to slow the ship, but it crashed hard into the Earth.