Another Starship bites the dust.

[Argent 88]

https://www.foxbusiness.com/technology/spacex-starship-sn11-debris


SpaceX Starship debris rains down during botched test flight landing in foggy conditions

SpaceX on Tuesday morning conducted a test flight of its Starship SN11 rocket prototype in Boca Chica, Texas, that crashed while landing, causing debris to fall on the launch site in foggy conditions.

After a successful launch,  recorded live by SpaceX and the NASASpaceFlight YouTube channel, a camera within the rocket froze as it crashed during a landing attempt due to "issues on ascent" with the second engine, SpaceX founder Elon Musk tweeted after the crash.

"Looks like engine 2 had issues on ascent & didn’t reach operating chamber pressure during landing burn, but, in theory, it wasn’t needed," he tweeted.

He added that "something significant happened shortly after landing burn start," and the space exploration company "should know what it was once we can examine the bits later today."

Onlookers posted photos of fallen debris to Twitter on Tuesday after the failed landing.
Aerospace photographer Jack Beyer described "lightweight debris" that made it "to Isla Blanca Park."
"People reporting pieces of it floating down, and it looks exactly like debris I’ve seen at the launch site after SN8/9/10. Crazy if its actually SN11 debris," he tweeted.

NASA commentators discussing the launch on a YouTube livestream of the launch site described "raining debris" that "keeps coming down" after the crash.

SpaceX has successfully launched a number of Starship prototypes, including SN8, SN9, SN10 and now SN11. Landing attempts, however, have been spotty, with some resulting in explosions as the company works to create a 100% renewable rocket. SN10, which SpaceX launched and landed successfully last month.

The landing technic meant to keep rockets intact after launch, dubbed the "belly-flop maneuver," is supposed to "enable a fully reusable transportation system designed to carry both crew and cargo on long-duration, interplanetary flights and help humanity return to the Moon, and travel to Mars and beyond," according to SpaceX's website.

[Bob Riebe]

https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2021/03/27/spacex-aims-to-fly-starship-spaceship-again-and-this-time-avoid-explosion/

Another SpaceX spaceship prototype explodes, joining Starship graveyard in Texas after ‘exciting’ test
Starship SN11 launched Tuesday morning from Texas but did not survive landing

SpaceX launched another Starship spaceship prototype Tuesday morning into a foggy, dark Texas sky but like three other test vehicles, it did not survive the landing.

The launch for SpaceX’s future Mars spaceship came a day after the test flight was postponed.

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SpaceX has plenty of goals when taking its future spaceship on 6-mile-high test flights from Texas but as the company prepares to try again with a new Starship prototype, the goal of keeping the shiny prototype in one piece loomed large.

Just after 9 a.m. EDT, SpaceX conducted its fourth high-altitude test flight from Boca Chica, Texas, using a new Starship spaceship test vehicle. Serial No. 11, or SN11, became the latest prototype subject to the same test flight that has destroyed three previous vehicles.

During the test flight, the shiny bullet-shaped ship soared more than 6 miles into the sky after lifting off from the Texas coast, then it descended horizontally over the Gulf of Mexico before flipping upright just in time to land. It’s the final part that previous Starship prototypes have not survived, at least for very long.
The livestream of the test flight from SpaceX came from views inside the spaceship or near one of the flaps used to control the vehicle’s descent.

However, about six minutes into the test, the video went black before coming back to show SN11′s Raptor engines and then it froze. A short while later, SpaceX engineer and webcast host John Insprucker confirmed SN11 wouldn’t be landing today.

“Starship is not coming back, don’t wait for the landing, we do appear to have lost all the data from the vehicle and the team of course is away from the landing pad,” said Insprucker, ending the webcast by saying, “As always, an exciting time with Starship.”

The fog shielded the explosion, but livestreams from YouTuber’s LabPadre and the Everyday Astronaut showed a bright flash.

Musk tweeted Friday that SpaceX is “doing our best to land & fully recover.”

To “fully recover” would mean SN11 survives the landing and doesn’t explode post-landing, which happened after the most recent tests.

Musk and his teams are building more test vehicles in Texas and will no doubt try again soon.

“A high production rate solves many ills,” he said following Tuesday’s explosion, adding “As least the crater is in the right place!”

The CEO said teams will have to collect and “examine the bits” later on Tuesday to determine the exact problem but he already had an idea.

“Looks like engine 2 had issues on ascent & didn’t reach operating chamber pressure during landing burn, but, in theory, it wasn’t needed,” Musk said referring to the rocketship’s three engineers. “Something significant happened shortly after landing burn start.”

Here’s a quick recap of the recent testing of Starship in Texas:

Prior to the high-altitude test flights, SpaceX completed a series of “hops” with a shorter prototype of the spaceship, also in Texas.
In December, SpaceX conducted its first high-altitude test flight of the Starship prototype called Serial No. 8, or SN8. While the takeoff and aerial descent went well SN8 exploded upon landing attempt. Still, it was the first time the public was able to see what SpaceX is attempting to accomplish with its futuristic spaceship designed to travel to the moon and Mars. The first attempt was considered a success for SpaceX with what it did achieve.
A second similar test in February with a new prototype SN9 also ended in a fireball during the landing attempt.
SpaceX almost nailed it during the most recent test flight with SN10. The Starship prototype launched and successfully landed but then exploded a few minutes later.

[Argent 88]

Your report was from Orlando FL. Mine was from Fox News. If you didn't like it, take it up with Fox.

[Goldie]

Either way you look at it. It blew up. My sister went to south Padre island to watch it. Said it didn't make sense why they launched it.

[Argent 88]

Either way you look at it. It blew up. My sister went to south Padre island to watch it. Said it didn't make sense why they launched it.

Elon Musk has a dream, and his ultimate goal is Mars. But he is aware of the months it would take to get there.
Launch window would have to be when Mars and the Earth were at they're closest point.

[Goldie]

Visited the site a couple months ago when visiting my sister. Not a lot of people living there anymore. I think 2 original houses are still occupied. Musk has a rv park there with numerous small airstream trailers for some of his people. All in all a interesting place to visit. Couldn't believe how close you could actually get to the starships. My sister visits there quite often. She is turning into quite the rocket effectionado.

[Bob Riebe]

Your report was from Orlando FL. Mine was from Fox News. If you didn't like it, take it up with Fox.

Mine simply had a bit more detail I thought some readers might enjoy; don't have a snit-fit.

[Argent 88]

Your report was from Orlando FL. Mine was from Fox News. If you didn't like it, take it up with Fox.

Mine simply had a bit more detail I thought some readers might enjoy; don't have a snit-fit.

I'm not Bob lol. If you were so attentive about that first report, then why didn't YOU post about it beforehand?

[Bob Riebe]

Your report was from Orlando FL. Mine was from Fox News. If you didn't like it, take it up with Fox.

Mine simply had a bit more detail I thought some readers might enjoy; don't have a snit-fit.

I'm not Bob lol. If you were so attentive about that first report, then why didn't YOU post about it beforehand?

Why are you letting the second news source get your shorts in a bind, good grief.
Same story, different information, i.e. more detail for those who are interested.
OK, I could have started another thread then we would have the duplicate, triplicate, quadruplicate etc. threads on the same damn thing that plagues this place.
This way, one thread, one story, less wasted forum space.
I'm done here.

[Argent 88]

Bob calm down, Charlie and other members do that and it doesn't upset me. I only asked. Telling you where my source came from. And you could choose to discard that. And you took it personal. Bob, all you had to say is this is what I found. A different report and be a gentleman about it.