BY C STONE | STONE NEWS NETWORK ||| TECHNOLOGY
Last night at 11PM CT, a SpaceX engine was due to test fire, but unfortunately exploded due to an unknown fault.
“After completing a single-engine static fire earlier this week, the vehicle was in the process of loading cryogenic propellant for a six-engine static fire when a sudden energetic event resulted in the complete loss of Starship and damage to the immediate area surrounding the stand,” according to an update on SpaceX’s website. “The explosion ignited several fires at the test site which remains clear of personnel and will be assessed once it has been determined to be safe to approach. Individuals should not attempt to approach the area while safing operations continue.”
The explosion follows others during the seventh, eighth, and ninth Starship flight tests earlier this year. “Initial analysis indicates the potential failure of a pressurized tank known as a COPV, or composite overwrapped pressure vessel, containing gaseous nitrogen in Starship’s nosecone area, but the full data review is ongoing,” SpaceX says. On X, the company called the explosion a “major anomaly.”
Compared to the legendary and old Saturn 5 rockets, which suffered minimal failures.
The Saturn V was remarkably reliable, with no vehicle losses and only a few major problems.
There was serious Pogo oscillation on the first stage of Apollo 6. Fortunately it was an unmanned test flight, and the problem was diagnosed and progressively reduced on later vehicles.
The Legendary Saturn V Rocket
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