12/09/2020 8:44 PM
Clarín.com
Society
Updated 12/10/2020 3:14 PM
The
SN8
prototype
of the
Starship
interplanetary rocket
from Space X, Elon Musk's company, exploded when it touched down on Wednesday and the image was captured on video and traveled the world in a few minutes.
This Tuesday it
had automatically aborted its launch
a second before takeoff in the 12.5-kilometer high flight test.
The vehicle, known as the Starship SN8, was scheduled to launch from the SpaceX facility in South Texas, near the town of Boca Chica.
On Wednesday, a second before takeoff,
the SN8's own systems detected something abnormal
with one or more of its three Raptor engines and the system automatically aborted the flight.
Space X reported in those terms on its Twitter account.
SpaceX's Starship exploded upon landing in Texas.
Photo SpaceX / AP.
Look also
Photos of Space X's Starship interplanetary rocket exploding during landing
On Wednesday afternoon it did take off and the launch was broadcast live on the company's Twitter channel, which showed the brutal explosion of the ship upon landing.
SpaceX develops the Starship to carry people and cargo to the Moon, Mars, and other distant destinations.
The transportation system consists of two elements, both designed to be completely reusable: a 50-meter stainless steel spacecraft called the Starship and a giant rocket called the Super Heavy, reports Space.com.
SpaceX's Starship exploded upon landing in Texas.
AFP photo.
The final starship will sport six Raptors and will be powerful to launch from the moon and Mars.
However, you will need Super Heavy to escape from Earth's much deeper gravity well.
(Super Heavy, which will be powered by about 30 Raptors, will land back on Earth shortly after launching Starship into orbit.)
SpaceX is iterating towards the final Starship design through a series of prototypes, three of which have already soared into the sky.
But the three vehicles, known as the Starhopper, SN5 and SN6, had only one Raptor and reached a maximum altitude of about 150 meters in their tests.
The SN8 represents a leap for the project, as it equips three raptor engines and aims to reach 12.5 kilometers in height.
In design it is much more complex than any of its predecessors;
it has a nose cone and fins that stabilize orientation, for example, while Starhopper, SN5 and SN6 resembled flying silos.
Source: agencies.
Look also
Photos of Space X's Starship interplanetary rocket exploding during landing