Controlled Rocket Explosion Carried Out by Elon Musk at SpaceX Base

5th Oct 2020
Controlled Rocket Explosion Carried Out by Elon Musk at SpaceX Base

On September 22nd, a controlled rocket explosion was carried out at SpaceX’s South Texas base. Elon Musk intentionally destroyed the SN7 prototype as part of a pressure test which he has repeated several times on his prototype rockets. The experiment was intended to deduce how much pressure can be exerted on the spacecraft tank before it implodes.

The event occurred at the Starship facility, located near Boca Chica. The trial rocket explosion was caught on camera by the news website NASASpaceFlight.com. The video shows the prototype rocket vanishing in an astonishing explosion of white smoke.

The Mission Details

SpaceX’s reusable rockets currently provide courier services into orbit for organizations and governments. Their ultimate goal is to transport people beyond earth as space tourists.

Billionaire entrepreneur, Elon Musk, is certain that he will send a fleet of 1000 super rockets to Mars eventually. The cargo? Thousands of tourists and astronauts, hopefully within the next ten years and if it takes the destruction of a few prototype rockets to fulfil his ambition, it is definitely worthwhile.

This heavy-lift rocket explosion was a single fuel tank, rather than a complete spacecraft as the final rockets design is expected to have the traditional cone shaped tip. 

Elon Musk has already named the final spacecraft, and it will be known as Starship. It is planned to be around 50 metres tall and will ferry about 100 passengers per trip. Musk plans to build a fleet of roughly 1000 of these high powered space rockets in order to achieve his goal of commercialising space travel.

Particulars Of The Project

Space X has carried out multiple experiments in the past few months in order to investigate the space craft’s pressure capacity and the results are then analysed and applied to the newer designs of Starship.

Through the study of the SN7, the next prototype is well on its way. Unlike others before it, the SN8 will feature three high powered raptor engines instead of a singular engine. 

The increase in power should propel it much higher into the air in comparison to its predecessors. The prototype engine is expected to fly at a speed of 25,000 kph.

Elon Musk hopes that Space X is now one step closer to finishing the Starship crafts with each test explosion and are now closer than ever in achieving their goal of finally carrying people into space with their rockets. 

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