Times SpaceX's Mars spacecraft exploded

Since 2020, when SpaceX first attempted to launch the Starship, there have been multiple explosions both in the air and on the ground.

Times SpaceX's Mars spacecraft exploded — The Starship spacecraft exploded during a test flight on November 18. Video: *WSJ*

The Starship/Super Heavy system, a vehicle developed by SpaceX to realize Elon Musk's dream of building a human settlement on Mars, exploded during a test on November 18, Business Insider reported. This was the second test of the combined system, which consists of the Starship mounted on the Super Heavy rocket, creating the world's most powerful launch system. The test took a new step forward when the system flew higher than before and Starship successfully separated from the Super Heavy rocket for the first time, although the Super Heavy later exploded in the sky.

Experts are still unclear about the exact cause of the failure on November 18. However, the booster explosion occurred after SpaceX first tested a so-called “hot staging” phase, a method used to separate the Starship and Super Heavy rocket after liftoff.

This isn't the only explosion to occur during testing of the Starship/Super Heavy launch system. SpaceX first tested the Starship's takeoff and landing capabilities in 2020, and multiple prototypes have exploded during takeoff or landing.

During its first test flight on December 9, 2020, the Starship prototype, called SN8, soared about 7 miles above the Texas test facility. It hovered for about 30 seconds, then shut down its engines and fell horizontally. SN8 re-ignited its engines in an attempt to straighten itself and land, but failed. The ship slammed into the concrete landing pad and exploded.

The next prototype, SN9, met a similar fate on February 2, 2021. This time, it appears an engine failure caused the spacecraft to tilt to the side and collide with a concrete pad, exploding its remaining fuel.

The third prototype, SN10, landed intact on March 3, 2021. However, some sparks appeared at the base of SN10 and about 10 minutes after landing, a sudden explosion occurred, throwing the rocket into the air and then falling back to the ground.

Later that month, on March 30, 2021, the SN11 prototype also exploded during SpaceX’s fourth attempt, sending a shower of debris flying. SpaceX ended its live broadcast before this happened, but images from NASASpaceflight showed debris scattered around the smoky launch pad. SpaceX eventually landed its fifth prototype without an explosion on May 5, 2021.

SpaceX will likely experience a similar process with its Starship/Super Heavy combination, and there are likely to be more explosions before the massive launch system reaches space. The November 18 test was the second failure of the launch system. The previous test, about seven months ago, saw the Starship fail to separate from the Super Heavy rocket, fall, and explode in a fireball about three minutes after launch.

Thu Thao (According to Business Insider )

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