SpaceX successfully launched the Starship but the ship suddenly exploded. (Source: Guardian)
According to CNN , in the first test launch of Starship on the morning of April 20 (local time) from the Starbase test site on the South Texas coast - SpaceX's super rocket reached an altitude of nearly 39,000 m before rolling in the air and then exploding. However, billionaire Elon Musk's SpaceX company and the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) both considered this a successful test.
Is flying successful?
In an announcement on April 20, SpaceX said the Starship test could be considered a success based on the data obtained, and affirmed that the test launch helped the program's designers learn a lot.
SpaceX also mentioned the company's previous failed tests such as Grasshopper, Falcon and Starship prototype. However, all of them were successful in subsequent tests.
According to SpacX, to be successful, you must go through failure.
About six of Starship's 33 thrusters failed after four minutes, and the rocket began to lose altitude and exploded shortly thereafter. (Photo: Interesting Engineering)
Commenting on the Starship test launch, Mr. Caleb Henry - Director of the space research company Quilty Analytics said that in the aerospace industry, the SpaceX rocket exploding after 4 minutes of flight is not a complete failure.
“The designers just hope it flies on the first test, this is just a test,” Mr. Henry emphasized.
“It's important to fail tests so you have a better chance of succeeding in the next ones,” says Henry.
Mr. Henry added that SpaceX's test launch of the Starship rocket received positive feedback from American aerospace experts.
“The US aerospace industry sees the test as a positive signal and the program is on track,” Mr. Henry shared.
However, according to Dr. Garrett Reisman, a former NASA astronaut and technical advisor to SpaceX, the failed test launch could affect the image of the Starship program and it directly impacts the budget issue.
According to Mr. Reisman, although SpaceX has been quite successful with the Falcon rocket and Dragon spacecraft, the cost of developing Starship is much higher than the company's previous space programs.
It’s still unclear how much SpaceX lost after the failed Starship test launch. As a private company, SpaceX is not required to disclose these figures.
Back in 2019, billionaire Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX, said that the cost of developing Starship would be between $3 billion and $10 billion.
NASA has awarded SpaceX a $4 billion contract for two missions back to the Moon, but the contract will only be disbursed once SpaceX has made certain progress.
Aerospace experts say the failed Starship test launch provided SpaceX with valuable data for future tests. (Photo: Reuters)
SpaceX's Unconventional Way of Building Rockets
The reason SpaceX is accepting fiery accidents lies in its approach to rocket development. In technical terms, it’s called “spiral development,” and it’s unlike the way NASA used to develop previous generations of American rockets.
At a fundamental level, SpaceX isn't looking to build a single rocket, test it painstakingly on the ground, and ensure success on its first flight like NASA is.
“SpaceX builds their rockets in a completely different way,” says Reisman.
The Starship rocket isn't just a prototype built during its development phase, SpaceX has been building multiple rockets over the years and testing each one. With each test comes tweaks and fixes.
“The SpaceX rocket tested on April 20 was essentially a ‘skeleton.’ It had no avionics, no astronaut seats, and no satellites,” Reisman added.
According to Mr. Reisman, all SpaceX wants to test is the rocket's jet propulsion system.
“If you look at previous rocket development programs, it took decades to develop a rocket that worked,” said aerospace expert John Muratore, who spent 24 years at NASA and now works at SpaceX. “SpaceX is completely different, we always come up with improved versions that are better than the previous version.” This has given SpaceX a series of new super-boosters and spacecraft to test.
Engineers see prototypes like the recently tested Starship as a way to answer those questions, Muratore said, and then use them to launch the next generation of rockets into space.
SpaceX's approach to the Starship program is to take more risks to get answers to those questions.
Simply put, the SpaceX rocket explosion was not a disaster, it was predicted.
Engineers will review the data collected during the April 20 flight, Muratore said. Many things were tested for the first time. Trying to fire 33 of the giant Raptor engines at the same time for a test flight has never been done before. Using methane as fuel is also a new approach for SpaceX. And the vehicle is made of steel, while other rockets typically use lighter metals and carbon composites.
Musk has even suggested that the Starship program would be considered a major step forward if the rocket could lift off the launch pad. And that has happened.
SpaceX engineers will analyze data from the Raptor engines to determine why six of the rocket's 33 engines failed as it began climbing higher into the atmosphere, Muratore said.
SpaceX will also assess damage to the launch pad and surrounding infrastructure and prepare for another test launch.
Even billionaire Musk said in a Twitter post that it could take months to prepare for the next launch.
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