"AT LEAST THE CRATER WAS IN THE RIGHT PLACE!" ANOTHER SPACEX TEST ROCKET EXPLODES

SpaceX chalked up another failed landing Tuesday (Wednesday, March 31, 2021, in Manila) for its futuristic, bullet-shaped Starship, as the prototype Mars rocket broke apart right before touchdown, adding to the many failures suffered by Elon Musk and his company, Marcia Dunn reported for the Associated Press (AP).

A camera on the rocket froze not quite six minutes into the test flight, and dense fog in South Texas obscured views of the ruptured rocket. Other videos showed debris raining down and explosions could be heard.

“At least the crater is in the right place!” SpaceX chief executive Elon Musk tweeted, obviously trying to make a good thing out of another devastating failure.

Musk said “something significant” happened shortly after the engine firings for landing: “Should know what it was once we can examine the bits later today.”

Likewise, one of the three engines had trouble during the ascent, he noted. This was the fourth full-scale stainless steel model to launch since December to an altitude of more than 6 miles (10 kilometers).

The previous three exploded upon having touched down or shortly afterward, and each time Musk claimed success, The prototype is 164 feet (50 meters) tall.

“Another exciting test, as we say,” SpaceX launch commentator John Insprucker said as he concluded the webcast. A newer version of the rocket has undergone hundreds of design changes, according to Musk.

“Hopefully, one of those improvements covers this problem,” he said. SpaceX plans to use Starship to send astronauts and cargo to the moon and, ultimately, Mars. Musk said earlier this month that SpaceX will be landing Starships on Mars “well before 2030.” But he noted that “the really hard threshold is making Mars Base Alpha self-sustaining.”

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