SpaceX prototype rocket explodes after launch platform test – IT Pro – News

A SpaceX prototype rocket, the Starship SN4, detonated on Friday in Texas static fire test. It appears that little of the missile is left and the launch pad has also been damaged. The test has nothing to do with the manned US mission to the ISS.

It is not yet clear what exactly caused the explosion. The static fire test itself was successfully completed; the explosion followed about a minute later. According to comments from NASASpaceFlight.com, the clouds coming off the rocket in the run-up to the explosion are also not common.

It is the fifth prototype of the Starship. The previous four often faced similar fates, with the exception of the SN2. Space.com writes that despite the catastrophic failure of the static fire test, the SN4 is the longest functioning and most successful prototype Starship missile to date.

If the test was successful, the plan was to launch the missile one low-altitude test to do it. Ultimately, the design is intended for transporting people to destinations such as the moon and Mars. Meanwhile work is already underway on the successor, the SN5. The second attempt to send a Falcon 9 Missile with Crew Dragon capsule and two NASA astronauts to the ISS takes place on Saturday night at 9:00 PM.

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