SpaceX Starship launch live: Elon Musk's company loses Starship rocket but gets further than first attempt - BBC News
Starship Rocket Lost By SpaceX During Second Launch After 8 Minutes
The blog segment features news updates from science expert Rebecca Morelle and science reporter Jonathon Amos.
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Marita Moloney and Sam Hancock collaborated to revise this blog section.
All the mentioned timings are based on the UK time zone.
Starship's Computer Blew Up In Atlantic
To a certain extent, the launch was exceedingly triumphant.
In simple terms, we witnessed the Starship rocket launch into space from Texas and successfully reach a pivotal stage of the mission - when the rocket separated into two components.
The upper section, known as the Ship, kept going. Its intended course was to ascend for approximately eight minutes and thirty seconds.
Either immediately prior to or immediately following, the onboard computer essentially wrecked the vehicle.
Why? Well, simply put, the speed of the spacecraft - when it reached 140km altitude above Earth - would have led it to fly over Africa. However, in the event that something went wrong, which was evidently the case, the computer system on board would have promptly obliterated the spacecraft to ensure that any resulting wreckage would fall over the Atlantic Ocean instead of causing damage on land in Africa.
The launch of the largest and most potent rocket known to man was breathtaking.
Everything seemed promising as it shot up high into the clear skies of Texas.
The subsequent test flight traveled a greater distance compared to the initial one – the separation of the rocket's components went according to plan.
However, things took a turn for the worse when the lower fuel tank exploded upon detachment. While this was not a huge issue as its primary task of launching the upper stage had been completed, it still caused concern.
Shortly after, it was reported that the upper section of the rocket, also known as the Ship, had been misplaced.
Is it a triumph or a defeat?
Typically, misplacing a rocket would be deemed as unfavorable or less than optimal, as the term "not nominal" signifies in space jargon. However, SpaceX operates under a distinctive ideology.
They will review and evaluate all the information obtained from this - comprehending the errors - and then they will make a second attempt.
SpaceX's Triumph, Despite Communication Loss: An Extraordinary Day
SpaceX engineers are calling today a major success, even though the Super Heavy booster went through an unexpected advanced disassembly procedure.
SpaceX has stated that explosions that occur in the initial phases of rocket development are desired and help to accelerate the decision-making process regarding design choices compared to solely conducting ground tests.
The company's second attempt at launching the rocket was more prosperous than the first one in April. The information that the company receives from this launch will be used to make changes to the rocket in the future.
SpaceX Abruptly Stops Live Feed; Announces Data Loss
The team at SpaceX just received news that they have unfortunately lost the data from the second stage of this flight, according to an engineer from the company.
The host of SpaceX's livestream, John Insprucker, announced that the data from the second stage is gone and it is possible that the second stage has been lost.
The team has approved their live broadcast of the launch. We don't know how this will affect the rocket's journey.
According to SpaceX engineers, it is uncertain what images we will witness during the re-entry phase of this launch.
'Achieving Success Today, So Far!'
According to mission control, the Ship is expected to turn off its engines soon.
The engineer who spoke on SpaceX's live broadcast exclaimed that it has been quite an accomplished day so far.
SpaceX's Key Separation Stage Breaks Loose
The Ship segment is still in flight and all six of its engines are still firing, after the stage separation has taken place.
The Super Heavy booster experienced an unexpected explosion, which deviated from SpaceX engineers' intended course of action.
Many employees are currently present at the SpaceX facility in Texas, cheering as they witness the commencement of the colossal rocket's second journey.
SpaceX Starship Lifts Off Again In Impressive Second Launch
The second launch of the most formidable rocket ever created took off from the launch pad in Texas, producing an enormous sound as the Super Heavy booster's 33 engines propelled it upward into the sky.
There is currently a scheduled pause happening with only 40 seconds left until the launch begins.
According to X, SpaceX stated that teams are utilizing this period to conduct ultimate examinations. As per the company, all mechanisms appear to be in sound condition for the flight test scheduled for today.
We're anticipating if it will take off in the coming moments.
The SpaceX online transmission is presenting a timer for the liftoff. As per the timer, we're just one minute away from the scheduled take-off time. As expected, we are eagerly anticipating the occurrence of this event.
"Successful Launch In Sight"
Over on X, SpaceX has announced that the loading of propellant for Starship is now finished. The impressive spacecraft is currently packed to the brim with over 4500 metric tons (or 10 million pounds) of propellant, ready for whatever missions the company has planned.
"Why The Long Delay Between First And Second Test?"
SpaceX had to wait longer than expected to make another attempt to launch Starship, with a delay of over six months.
The reason for the lengthened wait time can be mostly attributed to fresh regulations for obtaining licenses.
Following the highly impactful initial evaluation, the Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) probed into the matter and mandated notable adjustments to be made before they would authorize the Starship to take flight once more.
The US Fish And Wildlife Service conducted a review to evaluate the effect on the fragile ecosystem near the Boca Chica launch site in Texas.
The organization determined that there were no noteworthy modifications in the surroundings, and Elon Musk stated that he had implemented more than 1,000 advancements to enhance the rocket's dependability, and the business had accomplished 63 corrections requested by the FAA. Therefore, the FAA has greenlit a second flight.
Despite the progress happening with space launches in the area, some people in the community are still against it. There are worries about how it will affect the environment, and those who lived in the vicinity prior to SpaceX's arrival experience frequent disturbances. With tests being performed, it's common for roads to be shut down and travel to be limited.
15 Minutes Left Until Launch
Over the past 60 minutes, Elon Musk has utilized X, which used to be called Twitter, to provide us with some news about how Starship is coming along.
"Fueling of the rocket has begun," he mentioned earlier, and also shared a post from SpaceX's social media account confirming that the rocket's systems and weather conditions are ready for the second flight test.
SpaceX's website has a live video airing showing the rocket situated on its launch pad, enveloped in a cloud of smoke.
We have 15 minutes left until the scheduled time for takeoff.
First Starship Launch: Countdown, Lift Off, Explosion
Although the rocket's explosion garnered the majority of the focus during the test flight's initial run, a volcanic eruption took place on the earth's surface as well.
The powerful flames of Starship's liftoff created a massive gap in the concrete launch pad, throwing pieces up to a distance of 10km in every direction.
Researchers subsequently computed that the surface beneath the launch pad burst with a magnitude comparable to a volcanic outburst.
Phil Metzger, a representative from the University of Central Florida, informed the BBC that the concrete fragments were propelled at a velocity of 90 meters per second, which is comparable to the speed at which volcanoes expel ejecta.
There are rumors that concrete ended up inside a few of the rocket's engines, which could be the reason for their malfunction.
Metzger stated that he believed it was an unwise decision to attempt a launch on a level concrete launch pad. He expressed his opinion that the risk taken was unnecessary.
SpaceX has transitioned to utilizing a steel launch platform that is cooled with water in order to prevent it from melting. This alteration is expected to ensure the launchpad remains intact during the upcoming launch.
Elon Musk, an American businessperson, will soon attempt to launch his massive new spacecraft called Starship once again.
The rocket launch from the town of Boca Chica's coast will happen at a specific time frame of 20 minutes, commencing at 07:00 nearby time (13:00 Greenwich Mean Time).
If Musk can succeed in making Starship perform as intended, it would be a groundbreaking achievement.
An enduring rocket that is able to transport over 100 tons to space at once would greatly decrease the expenses related to space missions. Additionally, it will aid the businessman in achieving the lifelong aspiration of bringing people and resources to Mars in order to build a community of humans.
Musk's Starship Back For Another Round
Greetings and thank you for joining us in anticipation of the upcoming second launch endeavor of the Starship rocket by Elon Musk.
In April, the vehicle's first flight was cut short after only four minutes due to a loss of control, resulting in an explosion. The fragments of the tall 120m (393ft) vehicle landed in the Gulf of Mexico.
SpaceX engineers have made over a thousand adjustments to their equipment, which includes a steel-constructed structure resembling a showerhead facing downwards. The structure assists in the release of massive amounts of water, suppressing the high temperature and noise levels during take-off.
We're currently situated in London with our science mates, Rebecca Morelle and Jonathan Amos. However, the launch is occurring in Texas, which is roughly 5,000 miles (or 8,000km) away from us.
We will provide you with real-time updates and evaluations, and you can also view the launch live on the top of this page.
