An explosion occurred at SpaceX’s Starbase facility in Texas while preparations were underway for a critical launch test of Starship, the world’s largest rocket. The incident, which took place during a “deluge system” test conducted by Elon Musk’s company, was captured by live cameras in the area.
“Elchi” reports that the explosion occurred during a test of the system that sprays pressurized water onto the launch pad to balance the massive flames and heat generated during a rocket launch.
In footage shared by NASASpaceflight, a large cloud of smoke is seen rising during the test, and some debris is seen flying hundreds of meters into the air. It was reported that the system shut down automatically after the explosion.
Critical threshold for Moon missions
SpaceX has a multi-billion dollar contract with NASA to land astronauts back on the lunar surface by 2028.
The 124-meter-tall giant structure, consisting of the Starship and the Super Heavy booster, is described as the “most powerful object ever built.” However, this latest failure in the launch system could pose a new risk to the Artemis schedule, which is already experiencing delays.
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