SpaceX rocket explodes minutes after test launch
A SpaceX rocket carrying the Starship spacecraft, which could one day send people to the moon and Mars, exploded minutes after launch during an unmanned test flight on Thursday morning. Video is courtesy of SpaceX.
Video Transcript
- 5, 4, 3, 2--
[CROWD CHEERING]
[APPLAUSE]
- Zero post [INAUDIBLE] operations.
[APPLAUSE AND CHEERS]
Booster outdoor chamber pressures nominal.
- [INAUDIBLE] 33 seconds under the test point of the inaugural Starship vehicle. Tower cleared. [INAUDIBLE] over. The [INAUDIBLE] reports first stage engines nominal. What a sight from the ground. Cameras--
[RADIO CHATTER]
We're flying at twice the thrust of the Saturn V [INAUDIBLE].
[CROWD CHEERING]
[RADIO CHATTER]
We're throttled down and throttled back up. Going through the period of maximum aerodynamic pressure.
[INTERPOSING VOICES]
[APPLAUSE]
As the velocity increases, the depth of the atmosphere is decreasing.
[RADIO CHATTER]
Lessening stress on the vehicle. The [INAUDIBLE] out [INAUDIBLE] now.
[CHEERS AND APPLAUSE]
Continuing to watch the first stage as we head downrange.
[APPLAUSE]
100 seconds into flight. Our next major activity is going to be shutdown of the first stage. Houston tracking station now acquiring the vehicle. We're shut down. We will get separation of Starship and Super Heavy and ignition of the Starship engines. When Starship separates, we light up six engines in a staggered sequence. And if all goes well, those six engines will burn for almost 6 and 1/2 minutes. Onboard view from Starship.
[CHEERING]
And there's views of the Raptor engines on the second stage as we prepare for stage separation. Now after stage separation, the first stage will flip and begin a boost back maneuver for landing in the Gulf.
Continuing to fly 2 minutes, 40 seconds. Let's get ready for main engine cutoff.
Booster engine cutoff.
- Beginning to flip for stage separation.
[CHATTER]
- As of right now, we are awaiting stage separation where Starship should separate from the Super Heavy booster.
- Yeah, Kate, right now it looks like we saw the start of the flip. But obviously, we're seeing from the ground cameras the entire Starship stack continuing to rotate. We should have had separation by now. Obviously, this is-- does not appear to be a nominal situation.
- Yeah, it does appear to be spinning. But I do want to remind everyone that everything after clearing the tower was icing on the cake.
[CROWD REACTS]
[APPLAUSE]
- Oh. There-- [LAUGHS] and there, as you saw, as we promised, an exciting end to the Starship inaugural integrated test flight.
