Washington, 28 May (H.S.): SpaceX's Starship prototype exploded over the Indian Ocean on Tuesday, marking a challenging test flight for Elon Musk's vision of Mars colonization. The powerful vehicle lifted off from Starbase in Texas at 6:36 pm (2336 GMT), generating excitement after previous attempts ended in disintegration over the Caribbean. However, the upper stage failed to deploy a payload of Starlink satellite simulators due to door malfunctions. Although it flew farther than earlier trials, it sprung leaks and began to spin uncontrollably in space. Mission teams released fuel to mitigate the explosion risk, yet the onboard cameras lost signal about 45 minutes into the flight, which was supposed to last 66 minutes. Ultimately, the spacecraft fell short of its target splashdown off Australia’s coast.
SpaceX referred to the incident as a rapid unscheduled disassembly and emphasized a commitment to learn from the experience. Musk announced plans to accelerate launches, aiming for one every three to four weeks, although he did not confirm details regarding a planned Mars live stream. Starship is pivotal for future space missions, including NASA's Artemis 3 lunar mission.
Ahead of the launch, numerous space enthusiasts gathered at Isla Blanca Park, South Padre Island, desiring to witness a historic event. Tourist boats filled the lagoon, while a live stream displayed Elon Musk at ground control in Starbase, wearing an Occupy Mars shirt. SpaceX is leveraging its fail fast, learn fast philosophy, having completed nine integrated test flights with the Starship atop the Super Heavy booster. A highlight was successfully catching the Super Heavy booster in the launch tower's robotic arms three times, crucial for reusability and cost reduction. This flight marked the first reuse of a Super Heavy booster, opting for a challenging descent and an intentionally disabled engine. The FAA has approved an increase in annual Starship launches, alleviating environmental concerns from conservation groups.
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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar
