SpaceX and its CEO Elon Musk are starting to provide some insights into the potential reasons for the loss of Starship during a recent launch. The Starship was lost after a successful launch and catch of the lower-stage booster, with debris falling over the Caribbean less than an hour after communication was lost with the spacecraft.
After analyzing preliminary data left behind by the rocket, SpaceX revealed that a fire developed in the aft section of Starship. The company stated that following stage separation, the upper stage successfully ignited all six Raptor engines and performed its ascent burn to space. However, telemetry was lost after approximately eight and a half minutes of flight, indicating a fire in the aft section that led to a rapid unscheduled disassembly.
Elon Musk also mentioned a possible oxygen or fuel leak in the cavity above the ship engine firewall, which could have caused the anomaly. The leak may have created excess pressure that the vent was unable to handle, leading to the disassembly of the spacecraft. There were reports of fires throughout the flight of Starship, which is unusual and suggests a potential issue with the vehicle.
Despite the loss of Starship, Musk is optimistic about future launches and believes that implementing better fire suppression methods and increasing the volume in the cavity above the ship engine firewall could prevent similar incidents. He mentioned that there are no indications to delay the next launch, which could potentially take place in February as Flight 8.
As more information becomes available in the coming days and weeks, SpaceX and Elon Musk will continue to investigate the reasons behind the loss of Starship. It is essential to address any technical issues to ensure the success of future missions and advancements in space exploration. Stay tuned for updates on SpaceX’s progress and upcoming launches.