On January 16, Elon Musk’s SpaceX conducted the seventh test launch of the rocket with a prototype of the Starship spacecraft. After some time, company representatives announced the loss of part of the reusable super-heavy rocket. Contact with the second stage of Starship was lost approximately 8.5 minutes into the flight.
A rapid unplanned destruction of Starship occurred while gaining altitude, the SpaceX press service said.
SpaceX lost the upper part of Starship, while the lower part returned to Earth. This was possible due to the capture of this part by special mechanical devices at the cosmodrome.
The test launch of the ship was supposed to be Starship’s first attempt to deliver cargo into space. If successful, the launch would have marked an important milestone in preparing the ship for practical use.
“Preliminary indication is that we had an oxygen/fuel leak in the cavity above the ship engine firewall that was large enough to build pressure in excess of the vent capacity,” Elon Musk said in a post on X platform.
Engineers are double-checking for leaks. They will also add a fire suppression system and increase the vent area, the entrepreneur added.
The US Federal Aviation Administration may want a detailed investigation into the circumstances of the incident. The next Starship launch may thus be postponed.
