EPISODE · Dec 4, 2019 · 1 MIN
SpaceX Starship Explodes During Test
from IEN Radio · host Eric Sorensen
On Wednesday, SpaceX was conducting a pressure test on the SpaceX Starship MK1 at a facility in Boca Chica, Texas, when the top of the next-generation rocket exploded.LabPadre was streaming the test and captured the explosion, which sent debris flying in all directions. According to The Verge, the explosion wasn't necessarily a setback, or unexpected. A SpaceX spokesperson told The Verge that the test was pressurizing systems to the max. Nobody was injured in the test. The aircraft is a prototype of a reusable vessel that could eventually be used to transport humans and cargo on deep space missions to the Moon, Mars, and beyond. According to a report from CNBC, plans for the MK1 recently changed. In September, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk said that the MK1 would fly in a test to 65,000 feet. However, a company statement said that the focus has now shifted to the MK3, which is "designed for orbit."The company said that the MK1 "served as a valuable manufacturing pathfinder," and subsequent designs will be different. SpaceX has previously stated that the Starship could attempt a moon landing as soon as 2022.
What this episode covers
On Wednesday, SpaceX was conducting a pressure test on the SpaceX Starship MK1 at a facility in Boca Chica, Texas, when the top of the next-generation rocket exploded. LabPadre was streaming the test and captured the explosion, which sent debris flying in all directions. According to The Verge, the explosion wasn't necessarily a setback, or unexpected. A SpaceX spokesperson told The Verge that the test was pressurizing systems to the max. Nobody was injured in the test. The aircra...
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SpaceX Starship Explodes During Test
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