Another inhibitor for the Elon Musk space program: At the end of a test flight, a new prototype for the Starship caught fire. The first test flight had already ended like this.
A prototype rocket of the SpaceX space program crashed onto Earth on Tuesday. There was a violent explosion, and no one was injured.
Video: SpaceX
Once again, a prototype of a new rocket from the US space company SpaceX exploded upon landing. Live footage on Tuesday showed how a Starship SN9 missile in Boca Chica, Texas, fell to the ground after a test flight and burst into flames.
Only in December the Starship SN8 missile caught fire during the landing maneuver. According to company founder Elon Musk, the landing speed was very high.
“We had another great trip to the summit. “We still have to work a little bit on the landing,” engineer John Innsbrucker told CNBC.
In the long term, Musk wants to make Mars missions possible with Starship rockets. However, closer targets could be identified in the foreseeable future: NASA wants to send astronauts to the moon again by 2024 at the latest.
SpaceX’s spherical spacecraft model explodes after crashing while attempting to land after a successful test launch.
Photo: Miguel Roberts / The Brownsville Herald / AP / dpa
SpaceX has already proven itself in space travel with its Falcon-9 rocket. In November, the first routine mission of SpaceX’s manned rocket to the International Space Station began.
Send tourists to space
The company announced on Monday that its first space mission, called “Inspection 4”, is scheduled to take place in the fourth quarter. The trip with four tourists should last three days and consist of a series of orbits around the world.
US entrepreneur Jared Isaacman, founder of Shift4 Payments, is said to be one of SpaceX’s first space tourists. Isaacman wants to make the three travel spaces next to him in the “Crew Dragon” space capsule available to “common people”. Inspiration4.com is set up for apps that travel with you.
Participation in space travel is said to be reserved for US citizens over the age of 18. There are two types of seats available. A donation to St. Jude’s Foundation, which is committed to fighting childhood illnesses, is a prerequisite for the so-called “generosity seat”. The “Prosperity” seat is for entrepreneurs – in this case, the app includes telling a “inspiring” story about an individual’s career path.
The capsule will be transported with the tourists to Earth orbit by a SpaceX Falcon-9 rocket from the Cape Canaveral spaceport in Florida, USA. On return, the capsule is expected to land in waters off the coast of Florida.
In previous years, a total of eight tourists have already traveled into space using Russian Soyuz capsules. The first American businessman was Denise Tito in 2001. The last one so far in 2009 was Canadian Jay Laliberty, founder of the famous circus troupe Cirque du Soleil.
“Typical entrepreneur. Lifelong beer expert. Hipster-friendly internet buff. Analyst. Social media enthusiast.”
More Stories
The BBC presenter is giving us the middle finger – and here’s why
Expansion and modernization: Danish Border Airport hopes to triple in size thanks to German passengers
Snow Oracle – What are the chances of a white Christmas? – Meteorological