Why did Elon Musk's Starship explode during testing? SpaceX answers
SpaceX's ambitious Starship program suffered a setback late Wednesday night when a prototype vehicle exploded during a routine test at the company's Starbase facility.The incident resulted in the complete loss of the Starship vehicle and damage to the immediate test area, but no injuries were reported.The explosion comes on the heels of Elon Musk planning to conduct the tenth test flight of the Starship Super Heavy rocket on June 29. advertisementWHY DID STARSHIP EXPLODE?
According to SpaceX, the Starship was on the test stand preparing for its tenth flight test. After successfully completing a single-engine static fire earlier in the week, engineers were loading cryogenic propellant for a planned six-engine static fire when a sudden and energetic event occurred.The explosion ignited several fires around the test site, but the area had been cleared of personnel in advance, and all staff are safe and accounted for.SpaceX emphasised that there is no threat to the surrounding Rio Grande Valley communities.'Previous independent tests confirm that materials inside Starship pose no chemical, biological, or toxicological risks,' the company stated, adding that it is working closely with local, state, and federal agencies to monitor environmental and safety impacts.Initial investigations by SpaceX engineering teams suggest the failure may have originated from a pressurised tank known as a COPV (composite overwrapped pressure vessel), which contained gaseous nitrogen in Starship's nosecone area.advertisementHowever, the company noted that a full data review is ongoing and that there is no commonality between the COPVs used in Starship and those in its Falcon rockets.'As is the case before any test, a safety zone was established and maintained throughout the operation,' SpaceX reported. The company also thanked first responders and local officials for their quick assistance following the anomaly.SpaceX remains committed to its Starship development program, which aims to revolutionise space travel with fully reusable rockets capable of carrying humans and cargo to the Moon, Mars, and beyond.The company's rapid prototyping approach means setbacks are expected, but each incident provides valuable data to improve future designs and safety protocols.Must Watch
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
One in four Indians uses only a mobile phone for everything from Netflix to social media
Nearly one in four Indians said in a survey they use only mobile phones to consume entertainment and media content, ditching television, in a telling sign for firms from Netflix Inc. to Starlink Inc. seeking growth in the world's largest consumer market. The number of users who only use digital channels ballooned to 23% in the March quarter of 2025, according to market research firm Kantar's Media Compass report this week, which surveyed 87,000 Indians across the country. That compares with 15% in the same period in 2023. The smartphone-only audience is skewed toward the lower end of the socio-economic spectrum, along with more rural users and men, said Puneet Avasthi, director of specialist businesses at Kantar's Insights Division for South Asia. Play Video Pause Skip Backward Skip Forward Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration 0:00 Loaded : 0% 0:00 Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 1x Playback Rate Chapters Chapters Descriptions descriptions off , selected Captions captions settings , opens captions settings dialog captions off , selected Audio Track default , selected Picture-in-Picture Fullscreen This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Text Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Caption Area Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Drop shadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like She Was Everyone's Dream Girl In 90's, This Is Her Recently. Investructor Undo Booming internet access, spurred by affordable smartphones and monthly mobile phone tariffs as low as $4, has made India among the largest digital consumer bases. This trend will help finetune marketing strategies of global media giants, including Inc.'s Prime Video and Meta Platforms Inc.'s Instagram, which are seeking more subscribers in the nation with more than 1.4 billion consumers. Satellite internet in India is also set to get a boost, with Starlink receiving approval from India's telecom ministry to roll out its services capping a years-long effort by Elon Musk's firm. Live Events Surging ecommerce Discover the stories of your interest Blockchain 5 Stories Cyber-safety 7 Stories Fintech 9 Stories E-comm 9 Stories ML 8 Stories Edtech 6 Stories Digital platforms provide potential for a 'very wide basket of categories' to grow among India's masses, Avasthi said. Surging e-commerce presence is allowing consumers to buy products that are not otherwise available in rural markets with 'the click of a button,' he added. From electrical appliance firms like Voltas Ltd. who benefit from deepening electrification to soft drink and snack sellers, multiple industries are targeting rural audiences, Avasthi said. Online marketplaces like Softbank Group Corp.-backed Meesho and Walmart Inc.-backed Flipkart are also deepening their penetration in smaller towns in India by selling more affordable products, riding on the growing digital presence of Indian buyers. Netflix offers a mobile-only plan for as little as 149 rupees ($1.72) in the country, with other providers also offering similar mobile-only experiences. Apart from mobile phones, the more premium option of connected TV, which allows users to watch television as well as access the internet, has emerged as a 'strong segment' with 35 million users being added in the quarter, according to the Kantar report.
India.com
2 hours ago
- India.com
Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla's ISS space mission Axiom-4 postponed for sixth time by NASA due to..., new date...
New Delhi: The Axiom-4 mission to take Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla to the International Space Station (ISS) has been postponed for the sixth time. It was to be launched on June 22, but it was postponed due to security check of ISS. Earlier this mission was to be launched on June 11, but it was postponed due to oxygen leak in the propulsion bay. Second Indian after Rakesh Sharma In Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4), four astronauts from four countries are going to the space station for 14 days. They include Peggy Whitson from the USA, Shubhanshu Shukla from India, Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski from Poland, and Hungary's Tibor Kapu. Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, referred to as Shux by his crewmates, will become India's second astronaut in space and the first one to go to the ISS. In 1984, Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma spent almost eight days on board the Soviet Salyut-7 Orbital Station. NASA said that more time is needed to review and conduct safety checks on the recent repair work done in the rear of the ISS's Zvezda service module. Many systems of the space station are interconnected, so it is important for the new team to have all technical systems fully ready. Oxygen leak SpaceX teams need more time to fix the liquid oxygen (LOX/ LOXygen) leak found in the booster inspection after the static fire test and will announce the new launch date once the repair is complete and the range is available. Objective of the mission The main objective of the Ax-4 mission is to do research in space and test new technology. This mission is also to promote private space travel and is part of the Axiom Space planning, which plans to build a commercial space station (Axiom Station) in the future. Scientific experiments: Conducting various experiments in microgravity. Technology testing: Testing and development of new technologies in space. International collaboration: Providing a platform to astronauts from different countries. Educational activities: Inspiring people on Earth from space and spreading awareness. About Shubhanshu Shukla Shubhanshu Shukla joined the Indian Air Force in 2006 and has also been selected for ISRO's Gaganyaan mission, which is India's first human space mission. To become an astronaut, he took special training in Russia and America. In this, he learned to work in microgravity, emergency handling, and scientific experiments.
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
Elon Musk on when he just wanted a job at Netscape and was rejected because …
Tesla CEO Elon Musk revealed he never intended to become an entrepreneur, he simply wanted a job at Netscape in 1995. Speaking at Y Combinator 's AI Startup School in San Francisco this week, the billionaire shared how Marc Andreessen's browser company ignored his application, inadvertently launching one of history's most successful entrepreneurial careers. "I sent my resume into Netscape and nobody responded," Musk told Y Combinator CEO Garry Tan during the fireside chat. "So, I'm like man, this is ridiculous, so I'll just write software myself and see how it goes." The rejection forced Musk to drop out of Stanford 's PhD program and pivot to building his own company. Despite holding physics and business degrees from Wharton and pursuing graduate studies in applied physics, his lack of computer science credentials apparently didn't impress Netscape's hiring team. From rejection to riches: The $300 million outcome by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Giao dịch CFD với công nghệ và tốc độ tốt hơn IC Markets Đăng ký Undo That "see what happens" mindset led to Zip2, Musk's first startup, which he built while sleeping in the office and showering at the YMCA. The company sold for $300 million in 1999, with Musk earning $20 million, money he immediately reinvested into his next venture, "I kept the chips on the table," Musk explained, describing his decision to risk everything on subsequent ventures rather than playing it safe. Back to the 'main quest' after political detour Now worth $366 billion according to Bloomberg's Billionaire Index, Musk reflected on his recent involvement with government efficiency initiatives as a "side quest." He emphasized his return to technology development as his "main quest," noting the contrast between engineering's demand for truth and politics' inherent noise. The Tesla founder, whose companies now include SpaceX (valued at $350 billion) and xAI , offered simple advice to aspiring entrepreneurs: "Try to be as useful as possible! You do whatever it takes to succeed!"
