One of Elon Musk's SpaceX Starship has exploded during a routine test in Texas, as per authorities. The company took to X to note that the Starship "experienced a major anomaly" while it was on the rest stand preparing for the tenth flight test at Starbase, SpaceX's launch site at the Southern tip of Texas. The explosion came at around 11pm local central time, and it was caught on cameras filming the preparation ahead of the test flight.
SpaceX in a statement on X ensured that safety measures are being maintained,
"Our Starbase team is actively working to safe the test site and the immediate surrounding area in conjunction with local officials. There are no hazards to residents in surrounding communities, and we ask that individuals do not attempt to approach the area while safing operations continue."
Elon Musk's SpaceX short for Space Exploration Technologies Corp is a private American aerospace company founded by Musk in 2002. Musk has a longterm vision with the corporation, which is to build a colony on Mars. SpaceX had also launched Starlink, a satellite-based internet service to bring high-speed internet to rural and remote areas around the world.
"Just a scratch" - says Elon Musk for SpaceX Starship crash
SpaceX owner, Elon Musk took to X, after a failed test and explosion of the Starship, with the words, "Just a scratch." This is not the first time the rocket has failed. On May 27, a prototype Starship had lifted off from the Starbase facility, only to explode over the Indian ocean, instead of executing its planned splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico.
The previous two outings of the rocket carried out in January and March, also ended poorly and failed minutes after takeoff, with debris falling near populated islands east of Florida. The recent explosion raises concerns about how long it will take the corporation to fine-tune the Starship design to guarantee if it can transport cargo or humans safely, as per Musk's ambitions.
Musk in a May 29, speech revealed details about upgrades about the rocket saying,
"It takes three major iterations of any major new technology to have it really work."
The SpaceX company is heavily reliant on government contracts, including one with NASA for the Starship to put astronauts on the moon by 2027, before Trump's 2nd term ends. Space policy analyst Marcia Smith of the Starship explosion said that the corporation's philosophy is 'fail fast, learn faster.'
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