Elon Mosch

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This article was originally published at The conversation. The publication made the article on Space.com Expert votes: OP-ED & Insights.

This was the ninth test flight for the rocket and the third catastrophic failure in a row this year.

Should we expect the ship to count on some to bring people further than we have ever been to the solar system? Or does this failure indicate deeper concerns within the wider program?

A decade of development

The Starship program of Elon Musk’s space technology company SpaceX, for more than a decade, has been in development for more than a decade and has been experienced many iterations in its entire design and goals.

The Starship concept is based on the SpaceX raptor engines that are to be used in a multi -stage system. In a multi-stage rocket system there are often two or three separate blocks with their own engine and fuel reserves. These are particularly important to leave the orbit of the earth and travel to the moon, Mars and beyond.

The key factor in spaceship is the ability to land and reuse extensive amounts of the rocket phases again and again. The company’s Falcon 9 vehicles used by this model were fantastic.

The first tests of the Starship began in 2018 with two flights with a low height, which showed early success. The following flights were confronted with numerous challenges with now four complete failures, two partial errors and three successes.

Two days ago, during the last failed attempt, I watched with more than 200 other space industry experts on the Australian Space Summit in Sydney. The start ran live on a huge screen and led to an excited buzz, which soon turned to reserved marbles.

Designing and starting rockets is of course difficult, and mistakes are to be expected. However, a third catastrophic failure within six months requires a break for reflection.

One of his 13 engines could not ignite this special test flight, when the spaceship positioned itself for the latest re -entry into the atmosphere. Shortly afterwards, a booster seemed to explode, which led to a complete loss of control. The rocket ultimately broke apart over the Indian Ocean, which tons of ruins will now call at home.

Pollution of the earth to pursue space

We do not know the exact financial costs for every test flight. But Musk previously said that it was about 50 to 100 million US dollars.

The exact environmental costs of the Starship program – and its repeated failures – are even more difficult to quantify.

A failed test flight in 2023 left the city of Port Isabel, Texas, which is located next to the starting point, trembling and covered with a thick cloud of dirt. The exploded rockets smashed rubble. The residents told the New York Times that they were afraid. They also had to clean up the chaos from the flight.

Then, in September 2024, SpaceX was occupied by the US Environmental Protection Authority and the Texas Commission for Environmental Quality for 14 separate incidents since 2022, where the starting systems were polluted in the waterways of Texas. Musk denied these claims.

In the same month, the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) proposed that a fine of US dollars should be issued to SpaceX. This was due to the use of an unauthorized start control area and other violations in 2023. Musk also made these claims and threatened to make the FAA for “regulatory presentation”.

It is unclear whether this lawsuit has ever been submitted.

Two other failed starts in January and March of this year also rained rocket waste about the Caribbean and bothered hundreds of trade flights, including 80 that had to be diverted, and more than 400 that needed a delayed start to ensure that they penetrate into safe airspace.

Success of different space programs

Until last year, the FAA SpaceX allowed to try up to five starship starts a year. This month the number was increased to 25.

A lot can go wrong during a start of a vehicle. And it is still a long way before us until we can properly assess whether the Starship successfully achieves its mission goals.

However, we can check previous programs to understand the typical success rates in various rocket scent programs.

The Saturn V rocket, the work animal of the Apollo -era, had a total of 13 starts with only one partial failure. Before the flight, three full floor tests were subjected.

SpaceX ‘own Falcon 9 Rocket has more than 478 successful starts, only two in flight errors, partial failure and a destruction before the flight.

The Antares rocket from Orbital Sciences Corporation (later Orbital ATK and Norththrop Grumman) started the 18 -time with a failure.

The Soyuz rocket, originally designed in the 1960s, Soviet consumglace rocket, started a total of 32 times with two mistakes.

Related stories

– ‘Starship in space’: See astonishing photos of SpaceX Megarockets Flight 9 test mission

– FAA demands SpaceX to examine the Starship Flight 9 -Missing skills

– SpaceX reveals why his Starship Flight 8 ship was exploded. The error was attributed to “Flash” in Rockets engines

No sign of caution

Of course, we cannot compare all other rockets with the spaceship. Its goals are certainly new as reusable heavy class rockets.

But this last failure raises a few questions. Will the Starship program ever see success – and if so, when? And how high are the limits of our tolerance as a society for the pollution of the earth in the pursuit of the target to space?

From now on, many people will expect caution for a RAKETRETRY program that moves so quickly, develops new and complex technology and experiences several repeated failures. However, musk has other plans.

Shortly after the latest Starship misery, he announced on X (formerly Twitter) that the next test flights would appear faster: one every three to four weeks.

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