Second failure for the Starship rocket. A prototype of this new machine produced by the company SpaceX crashed on landing, Tuesday, February 2, during a test flight from the coast of Texas, in the United States. Another prototype had met the same fate in December. He had managed to take off, before crashing into a large ball of fire.
These tests are taking place in an almost deserted area leased by SpaceX, in the far south of Texas, an area empty enough that an accident or explosion does not cause damage or cause casualties.
The Starship rocket will consist of a manned spaceship and a first stage, called Super Heavy, equipped with thirty-seven engines instead of nine, all measuring 120 meters in height and capable of carrying 100 tons in orbit around Earth.
Elon Musk imagines one day launching several of these vessels to conquer Mars. But initially, the rocket, if it became operational, could prove useful for closer trips, especially to the Moon, where NASA wants to restore a lasting presence from 2024.
