SpaceX’s Starship initially failed to self-destruct, Musk says in autopsy

SpaceX’s Starship Struggles to Self-Destruct

Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX, revealed that the Starship had difficulty self-destructing after it went out of control. The craft exploded four minutes after launch on April 20, making it the largest rocket ever built to explode. In a Twitter Space audio chat, Musk admitted that the company ran into more problems during the launch than previously revealed.

What to Know About the SpaceX Rocket Explosion as FAA Starts Investigation

Musk reported that the rocket lost its ability to turn the engines, resulting in it somersaulting through the sky uncontrollably. SpaceX initiated the flight termination system shortly after, but the craft failed to self-destruct. Starship tumbled through the sky for a full 40 seconds more until it finally blew up. Musk chalked this up to its structure being even more resilient than expected.

• Several of its 33 engines failed almost as soon as the rocket lifted off from the launch pad.
• 85 seconds in, things really hit the fan.
• The vehicle’s structural margins appear to be better than expected.

Musk said that the incident was a learning experience and that the company would think about placing more explosives inside the rocket at the next launch so that it would self-destruct as soon as commanded. Overall, Musk reported satisfaction with the experience, saying that it got clear of the pad with minimal damage to the pad.

The Federal Aviation Administration has grounded all flights in SpaceX’s Starship Super Heavy program until it concludes its investigation into the Starship explosion. The agency appears to have gotten involved largely due to an apparent violation of SpaceX’s environmental assessment, which it had completed to get a license to liftoff. The company wrote that in the event of an explosion, the rocket’s debris field would only extend about 1 square mile around the launch pad. Instead, dust and debris were reported several miles away, in addition to complaints about structural damage in Port Isabel, which is 6 miles away from the launch pad.

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