SpaceX will postpone launch test after accidental explosion of starship

The SpaceX starship will postpone the launch test after the accidental explosion

The SpaceX starship will postpone the launch test after the accidental explosion. Since the "starship" concept was proposed, its prototype There have been many accidents, and this is not the first time a violent explosion has occurred. The SpaceX starship will postpone the launch test after the accidental explosion. SpaceX will delay launch test work after unexpected explosion of Starship 1

SpaceX’s efforts to launch its next-generation Starship rocket into orbit faced a major setback earlier this week. Because the rocket's first-stage booster exploded massively from a mixture of fuel-rich air.

The explosion did not damage the booster or the surrounding launch tower, but the company will have to transport the rocket back from the launch site in Boca Chica, Texas, to inspect the engines and make sure they are Prepare for pre-launch testing. SpaceX plans to replace its Falcon 9 lineup with "Starship" and use it for missions to the moon and Mars after the rocket is put into use.

The accident occurred in the afternoon of local time in Texas when SpaceX was testing its Raptor 2 engine. Thirty-three of the engines appear in the first stage, known as the Super Heavy, each capable of producing 230 tons of thrust. Footage of the incident shows the Raptor's engines spewing thick clouds of what is presumed to be methane, moments before a huge fire erupted beneath them, along with a massive explosion that created a shock wave.

An hour after the fire died down, multiple smaller explosions were heard, which also led to smaller fires far away from the rocket and close to its launch tower. However, like the first explosion, these did not appear to cause any serious damage to the 230-foot-tall booster.

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk later shared details about the accident on Twitter, outlining that the cause of the explosion was a fuel-rich air mixture and that the sensors his company used were supposed to detected. Musk also explained that the incident occurred after his company began testing the engine's starting cycle. This cycle involves several pumps spinning simultaneously to provide a mixture of fuel and oxygen to the engine.

Musk has confirmed that his company will transport the booster from the launch site back to the high platform so that the Raptor 2 engine can be inspected. The platform Musk was referring to is the roughly 265-foot-tall structure SpaceX uses to store Super Heavy boosters before pushing them out of the launch pad.

The company also assembles its rockets in one of the tallest structures at its Boca Chica facility. How long Booster 7's inspection will take is anyone's guess, but SpaceX is known for moving quickly. The previous accident involving the rocket was when its liquid oxygen tube was damaged during a pressure test in May. SpaceX set out to transport the booster back to its inspection facility and have it repaired within two weeks. SpaceX will postpone launch test work 2 after the accidental explosion of the Starship

Musk, the world’s richest man, has always had a huge obsession with landing on Mars, which is why SpaceX’s “Starship” (a specially designed for landing on Mars) Designed a heavy-duty rocket), Musk boasted on Twitter last month that "Starship" would complete its first orbital launch in July.

The "Starship" No. 7 super heavy booster accidentally exploded

But contrary to expectations, on July 11, U.S. time, SpaceX located in Boca Chica, Texas, USA During the rocket test, the most important No. 7 super heavy booster of the "Starship" exploded. During this test, the engine ignited, and then the engine caught fire and exploded in the air, causing a huge shock wave. 1 Hours later, thick black smoke continued to emerge from the test bed. According to the latest reports, it is still unclear what caused the explosion.

Since the concept of "starship" was proposed, its prototype has had many accidents, and this is not the first time that a violent explosion has occurred. What is different from the past is that this time The impact of the explosion is relatively large, because in the original plan, the "Starship" will conduct its first earth orbit launch this month, and will launch once a month thereafter! "So the debut of Starship will most likely be postponed. Musk also commented on the explosion: "Yes, it's actually not very good, and the team is assessing the damage."

Nothing can stop Musk’s “Mars dream”

In fact, Musk’s “Mars dream” has not always been smooth sailing. Difficult prototype testing (the "Starworm" prototype successfully achieved a jump and hover in July 2019), as well as a series of complex environmental reviews, SpaceX needs to take up to 75 environmental measures to mitigate the impact on the surrounding environment , can obtain a launch permit, and there are strict limits on the number of "starship" launches.

Musk once boasted that Haikou would land on Mars this year. It seems that this year must be enough. It is already very fast to achieve this goal in 2023, considering that the "Starship" is the first time The orbital launch is very important. It is still too late to find the problem during the test phase. I am afraid that there will be a problem during the launch. By then it will be really late! SpaceX starship will postpone launch test work 3 after accidental explosion

In recent years, Musk’s SpaceX company has not only frequently launched satellites, but also shouldered the important task of manned landings on the moon and Mars in the future. It is reported that SpaceX plans to launch the most powerful rocket in history in July. But the launch plan did not go smoothly. During the ground test, a super-heavy booster accidentally exploded.

According to SpaceX, the SpaceX starship was launched to replace the Saturn V. The Saturn V is the heaviest launch vehicle ever used in human history, with a height of 110.6 meters and a take-off weight of 3038.5 tons. The total thrust reaches 3408 tons. It is the largest rocket used by NASA in the Apollo and Skylab programs. stage disposable liquid fuel rocket. The Saturn V launched 13 rockets between 1967 and 1973, but the launches were later stopped due to production line shutdowns.

The starship that SpaceX relies on is mainly composed of a first-stage rocket called Super Heavy and a 50-meter-tall spacecraft. They rely on dozens of Raptor engines to propel them. Among them, the first-stage rocket carries 33 Raptors, and the second-stage spacecraft carries 6. Not only does it have more engines than the Saturn V, but its thrust is also more powerful than the Saturn V. Its thrust will be double that of the Saturn V.

According to the plan, the Starship will conduct its first orbital test as soon as July and send the test ship into the predetermined orbit. It is still unclear what damage the explosion will cause to the heavy booster and launch. But this unexpected explosion is likely to delay the launch of the starship.