Elon Musk's "Martian" spacecraft prototype exploded during landing

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Today, December 10, SpaceX conducted regular tests of the promising Starship spacecraft. The corresponding broadcast was conducted on the official You-Tube channel of the company.

As part of the current mission, the SN8 prototype was supposed to jump 12,5 km and land smoothly on the site. The tests were carried out in Texas (USA). The ship successfully climbed to the required altitude and began a controlled descent. However, when it touched the ground, the device exploded. Fortunately, no one was hurt as a result of the incident.



Later, the head of the company, Elon Musk, spoke on his Twitter about the causes of the accident. According to the businessman, the pressure in the fuel tank dropped during the flight. As a result, the prototype ship descended at too high a speed, leading to a fire and explosion during landing.


However, Musk does not consider this mission a failure. On the contrary, in his opinion, the launch can be considered successful, since the ship climbed to a given height and the engineers managed to collect all the necessary data.

Recall that the Starship & Super Heavy project provides for the creation of the world's first reusable super-heavy rocket of a new generation with a manned spacecraft as the second stage. In the future, the device is planned to be used to conquer deep space. In particular, it is on this rocket that Elon Musk "dreams" of delivering the first people to Mars.
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    9 comments
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    1. Jarilo
      Jarilo
      0
      10 December 2020 11: 41
      Nobody flies anywhere anymore. How much for them to fly to Mars on this kerosene stove. A plasma engine is being created in Russia. Here we will fly on it. And this is cutting money in the best American traditions.
    2. Odessa Greek
      Odessa Greek
      0
      10 December 2020 12: 15
      That's right, all accidents in the USA are not accidents, but planned incidents, because light elves are not mistaken, and all the mistakes of Russia are "failures" and "catastrophes", tk. in Mordor it shouldn't be any different !!!!!!
      SUGS!
    3. Cyril
      Cyril
      +2
      10 December 2020 12: 25
      The first tests of the Grasshopper (the prototype of the Falcon 9 recoverable first stage) also ended in an explosion. The first landings of operated Falcon 9s also ended in an explosion.

      The result of these explosions today has become reusable stages, which are already used 7 times (and this is not the limit) for operational space launches with the placement of goods and people into orbit.

      Test prototypes are created in order to achieve the desired result through trial and error.

      And the flight was beautiful. I was especially impressed by the maneuver with the exit to a horizontal controlled fall with braking on the atmosphere and the subsequent exit to the vertical position just before landing.

      One more small step on the way to Mars. Keep it up.
    4. steelmaker
      steelmaker
      +3
      10 December 2020 17: 05
      Once they carry out tests, it means they develop the space industry, they strive for something. A negative result is also a result. And Musk has proven that he is capable of achieving this goal. And to be glad that they didn’t succeed, and we don’t have anything at all, I don’t want to.
    5. monman
      monman
      -3
      10 December 2020 19: 15
      Fortunately, no one was hurt as a result of the incident.

      So I didn't get it - he took off with the astronauts? Or did the servants on the ground quickly run away?
      1. 123
        123
        +2
        10 December 2020 23: 04
        So I didn't get it - he took off with the astronauts? Or did the servants on the ground quickly run away?

        Probably it meant that no one was shot. laughing
        1. monman
          monman
          -1
          10 December 2020 23: 35
          !! laughing !!!!!!
    6. 123
      123
      +2
      10 December 2020 23: 09
      The atmosphere of Mars is more rarefied than the terrestrial one, but it is still not clear how this structure will enter it? How about thermal protection?
      I found a suitable animation to make it clear what it was about.

      1. Cyril
        Cyril
        0
        11 December 2020 05: 22
        For thermal protection, a composite tile will be used, covering the ship's hull from the "windward" side.