SpaceX lost a Starship rocket when it exploded at a test site last week. The blast destroyed the upper-stage spacecraft that was set to fly on Flight 10 later this month. Someone on a boat tour captured images of the damaged rocket and shared them on social media. The explosion surprised many because SpaceX had not seen a major ground accident since last year. A broken pressure tank caused the blast that lit up the night sky.
The Federal Aviation Administration had said Flight 10 might happen before the month ends. SpaceX had taken a two-month break between Flight 8 and Flight 9 before this accident. Flight 9 showed better results than Flight 8 for the troubled second-generation upper stage. The rocket managed to shut off its engines and cruise during Flight 9 after failing to do this during Flights 7 and 8. SpaceX lost control of the spacecraft during its return to Earth.
New photos show the damaged rocket with burned paint and a twisted shape. Many heat shield tiles still stick to the forward section of the spacecraft. A possible Starlink device appears visible under the protective tiles at the bottom. The test stand also suffered major damage but kept its basic structure. SpaceX faces a bigger challenge fixing the ground facilities than replacing the lost rocket since the company builds many spacecraft but has fewer test sites.
The Federal Aviation Administration had said Flight 10 might happen before the month ends. SpaceX had taken a two-month break between Flight 8 and Flight 9 before this accident. Flight 9 showed better results than Flight 8 for the troubled second-generation upper stage. The rocket managed to shut off its engines and cruise during Flight 9 after failing to do this during Flights 7 and 8. SpaceX lost control of the spacecraft during its return to Earth.
New photos show the damaged rocket with burned paint and a twisted shape. Many heat shield tiles still stick to the forward section of the spacecraft. A possible Starlink device appears visible under the protective tiles at the bottom. The test stand also suffered major damage but kept its basic structure. SpaceX faces a bigger challenge fixing the ground facilities than replacing the lost rocket since the company builds many spacecraft but has fewer test sites.
