SpaceX Starship launch: SN8 test flight explosion and crash landing explained - and what Elon Musk said on Twitter

[covertbriar]

SpaceX described the craft's landing as 'hard (and exciting!)' - here's everything we know so far about the crash

The latest test flight from SpaceX has ended in flames, after a new prototype craft crash landed having made its highest flight ever.

It was SpaceX’s first major flight test of its Starship spacecraft, a fully-reusable craft designed to be used as a long-duration cargo, and eventually, passenger-carrying vehicle.

The craft – dubbed SN8 – reached a height of 12.5km (7.8miles) before crash landing. Nobody was onboard.

Ahead of the test, SpaceX described the test flight as "an exciting next step in the development of a fully reusable transportation system capable of carrying both crew and cargo to Earth orbit, the Moon, Mars, and beyond.”

Here's everything we know so far.

What happened?

The private spaceflight company founded by Elon Musk launched its shiny, bullet-shaped, straight-out-of-science fiction Starship several miles into the air from a remote corner of Texas on Wednesday 9 December.

The launch had already been delayed by several factors, but Starship finally lifted off at 4.45pm local time (10.45pm UK time), with just 15 minutes until its designated launch window closed.

The vehicle was due to perform its complicated landing sequence once it had reached its target height, flipping over in mid-air with "precise flap control” and returning to Earth.

A couple of minutes into the test flight, it appeared as if the lower part of the craft had caught on fire, although the flames died down and the test flight was able to continue.

But the six-and-a-half minute test flight ended in an explosive fireball at touchdown.

More at https://www.scotsman.com/lifestyle/...ained-and-what-elon-musk-said-twitter-3063579

 

[nightsafari]

This is a great success as defined by his Elonness!

Needless to say, I'm not getting into any of his vehicles any time soon. I don't want to be successful as he defines it.

 

[laksaboy]

Forget about these side projects. Elon Musk's global (6G?) wifi is going to make telcos and 5G equipment merchants look silly.

And Internet censorship will be a thing of the past. You won't need a VPN, unless you just want additional privacy.

https://www.starlink.com/

 

[TomJo]

Yes of course! Only 5g networks are already deployed in most countries. And this project is only at the beginning of its journey. It's great to have access everywhere. And it's especially good that it can be confidential. But in the modern world, everything works a little differently. The more access to the Internet, the less privacy.

 

[TomJo]

Will you be watching the Falcon 9 launch tomorrow? What are your predictions? Will something interesting happen? Could there be any planned misfire?

 

[TomJo]

A lot of satellite launches are planned for the next few years. All this will need to be serviced and removed from orbit. For these purposes, some companies are developing space tugs and other technical means.
For example, the Scottish company Skyrora carried out the final tests of the third stage Skyrora XL.
It is a full mission-ready Orbital Transfer Vehicle (OTV) that can perform a number of in-space missions once it has delivered its payload including the replacement of redundant satellites or even the removal of space debris.
This is pretty interesting news for me.