Latest news with #SpacexStarship
Yahoo
07-03-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
SpaceX faces major setback after losing second Starship rocket; debris spotted falling over Atlantic Ocean
BOCA CHICA, Texas – For the second time in seven weeks, a major explosion aboard a SpaceX rocket sent planes scrambling for safety after debris was spotted raining down over the southwest Atlantic on Thursday evening. SpaceX was in the initial stages of its eighth test flight of its prized Starship rocket from its South Texas launch facility when, less than 10 minutes into the mission, flight crews appeared to lose control of the rocket's engines. Debris was spotted within minutes raining down from the Bahamas, Caribbean and Florida, which caused the FAA to issue an alert to pilots. During the previous test flight in January, the upper stage of the more than 400-foot-tall rocket disintegrated over the southwest Atlantic, sending debris raining down over the Turks and Caicos Islands. Future Of Nasa's Mega Moon Rocket Appears In Doubt Following Major Boeing Announcement SpaceX said they were in communication with the FAA over any needed flight diversions, but there were no immediate reports of damage. Dozens of flights appeared to have been diverted and airports from Orlando south through West Palm Beach and Miami reported flight delays associated with the event."During Starship's ascent burn, the vehicle experienced a rapid unscheduled disassembly and contact was lost," SpaceX said in a statement moments after the explosion. "Our team immediately began coordination with safety officials to implement pre-planned contingency responses. We will review the data from today's flight test to better understand root cause. As always, success comes from what we learn, and today's flight will offer additional lessons to improve Starship's reliability." The explosion occurred at a similar point in the mission as the January event, leading some space experts to question whether there is a process that needs fine-tuning before Starship is cleared to fly again. Ironically, debris was spotted as far north as the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, a potential future launch site for the mega rocket. The Starship spacecraft is being developed with the long-term goal of carrying astronauts to the Moon and potentially Mars, though SpaceX has not publicly disclosed a timeline for when the rocket will be approved for human space travel. Several previous test flights have encountered challenges, leading to uncertainty surrounding the objectives of NASA's Artemis program. Watch: Spacex Starship Test Flight Disintegrates After Launch, Debris Spotted In Skies Over Caribbean The Artemis program aims to return humans to the lunar surface by 2027, marking the first crewed mission to the Moon since Apollo 17 in December 1972. The first Artemis mission was launched in November 2022 but involved a Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and the Orion spacecraft, not a rocket made by SpaceX. The next mission, Artemis II, is expected to be a crewed flight but, again, will not involve SpaceX's Starship. The ninth test flight could take place as soon as April, but a potentially lengthy FAA investigation will likely derail any immediate launch article source: SpaceX faces major setback after losing second Starship rocket; debris spotted falling over Atlantic Ocean
Yahoo
07-02-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Planes could be in danger of falling space debris as recent SpaceX rocket explosion highlights new data
VANCOUVER, B.C. – Space rocket debris has an alarming high chance of impacting busy airspace every year, causing dangers to airline traffic, according to researchers at Canada's University of British Columbia. Using air traffic data from 2023, researchers calculated the probability of rocket debris re-entering busy airspace at 26%. While most debris from space missions burns up upon re-entry into the upper atmosphere, some pieces are still seen streaking through altitudes where aircraft fly, and even reaching the ground. Fortunately, out of the 258 rocket launches and 120 uncontrolled rocket debris re-entries in 2024, none were reported to have disastrous collisions with aircraft, but some experts warn it may only be a matter of time unless industry-wide changes are acted upon. "Uncontrolled rocket body re-entries are a design choice, not a necessity," Dr. Aaron Boley, an associate professor and co-author, said in a statement. "The space industry is effectively exporting its risk to airlines and passengers." Watch: Spacex Starship Test Flight Disintegrates After Launch, Debris In Skies Over Caribbean In late January, an explosion of a SpaceX Starship spacecraft over the Southwest Atlantic and northern Caribbean Sea caused chaos in the skies as pilots of commercial attempted to avoid debris raining down to Earth. The launch was SpaceX's seventh attempt at conducting a test mission of its prized spacecraft that one day could play a crucial role in crewed Artemis missions. "The recent explosion of a SpaceX Starship shortly after launch demonstrated the challenges of having to suddenly close airspace," Ewan Wright, lead author and doctoral student at UBC, stated. SpaceX founder and CEO Elon Musk attributed the spacecraft's demise to a propellant leak that occurred after liftoff from the SpaceX launch facility in Boca Chica, Texas. Due to the risk of falling debris, the Federal Aviation Administration issued a debris alert for pilots, advising them to slow down and delay departures until the threat of collision was over. Piece Of Suspected Space Debris Found In Rural North CarolinaThe FAA reported no injuries from falling debris occurred in the skies; however, damage on the ground was reported in the Turks and Caicos, southeast of the Bahamas. To mitigate risks posed by space travel, researchers at UBC are advocating for rockets that are designed to re-enter the atmosphere in a controlled manner, which end up crashing harmlessly into the more than 70% of Earth's surface that is covered in water. The researchers admitted that any changes will likely have to start with coordinated actions of governments around the globe before being implemented across the space spectrum. "Countries and companies that launch satellites won't spend the money to improve their rockets' designs unless all of them are required to do so," Byers stated. "So, we need governments to come together and adopt some new standards here."Original article source: Planes could be in danger of falling space debris as recent SpaceX rocket explosion highlights new data
