The explosion of a starship has never looked so good.
Big boom
SpaceX’s Starship SN10 prototype experienced a bit of an oopsie after it landed.
The stainless steel tower decided to give up the ghost several minutes after the touchdown on Wednesday, rising in a huge cloud of flame – just like its two predecessors SN8 and SN9.
“RIP SN10, honorable discharge,” Musk tweeted after the event.
slow motion
Courtesy of space launch photography On YouTube, Cosmic Perspective, we can relive the event in incredible slow motion, including the sounds of a crowd cheering near the launch pad.
The rocket can be seen bursting like a can of carbonated soda, exploding into a giant fireball. Moments later, pieces of what is left of the rocket can be seen falling back to the surface, landing with a satisfactory thud.
The footage is detailed enough to show individual pieces of steel being hurled in all directions.
It won’t be long before we see the next full-scale starship prototype fly. The next prototype, called SN11, is “ready to be implemented in the very near future,” said John Insprucker, who was presenting Wednesday’s live broadcast, as quoted by SpaceNews.
SEE MORE INFORMATION: SpaceX Starship SN10 landing and explosion slowmotion [YouTube]
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