FOURTH TEST OF GIANT ROCKET ENDS WITH ANOTHER MISHAP

Space Exploration Technologies Corp.’s fourth test flight of its biggest rocket ended in another mishap as smoking debris rained down on the company’s Texas launch site, suggesting additional development hurdles for a vehicle designed to put humans on the moon and Mars.

The Starship SN-11 prototype lifted off in heavy fog Tuesday morning from Spacex’s seaside launchpad near the Mexico border, based on live video streamed by the company. The rocket then flew to an altitude of about 6.2 miles before shutting down its three Raptor engines to begin descent. On its way down, a rumbling noise developed and the video feed froze just after the ship was about 1,000 yards from the landing pad. Cameras recorded a burst of orange and pieces of debris crashing down near the launch site.

Why it matters

The latest mishap underscored the challenge facing Spacex.

The previous Starship test, on March 3, touched down at a slight incline and was engulfed in flames less than a minute later. Two earlier attempts ended in fireballs. No people were aboard any of the spacecraft.

Despite the fiery finales, each test flight has offered Spacex additional data on the enormous rocket’s design, propulsion, navigation and other systems.

Spacex conceived the stainless steel Starship as a versatile, fully reusable craft that can carry 100 metric tons for deep-space missions to the moon and Mars. It’s also designed to serve as a hypersonic, point-to-point vehicle to reduce travel times across

Earth. Excluding a heavy booster that creates a two-stage system, Starship is 160 feet high with a 30-foot diameter, and able to carry as many as 100 passengers.

What’s next

The full system is scheduled for a commercial flight in 2023. In October, Spacex founder Elon Musk said he was 80% to 90% confident that Starship will be ready for an orbital flight this year. Spacex plans to fly multiple Starship prototypes from its Texas launch site, an area the rocket maker has dubbed Starbase.