2023-04-21 11:24:06
The world’s most powerful reusable rocket from the Space X company exploded minutes after takeoff. Despite everything, the company says that it has been a success and in fact they applauded that moment in which the rocket collapsed. A reaction that has surprised many people. Elon Musk’s face reflected disappointment, although later, and despite the many millions of dollars he has spent, he assures that this setback has also been a success due to the learning that it entails.
To better understand what has happened, the director of the Morning News, Manu Sánchez, has interviewed the astrophysicist Jorge Pla-Garcia. “It is a partial success because it was really a test launch. They wanted to know if Starship would be able to fly and the launch was successful. It did not work as expected, but the learning is enormous,” says this expert.
And why did Elon Musk’s rocket explode? Jorge Pla-García details two relevant rulings: between 6 and 8 of the 33 motors did not work, and the problems in the base, which will force a complete redesign. “Luckily, nothing broke from the tower, which was what the company was most concerned about, but the base could not withstand the thrust of the engines. The concrete did not resist and pieces were thrown everywhere. It is likely that some It will damage the engines. There was also a problem with the separation between the 2 stages, which did not work correctly.
Is the return to the Moon delayed?
In any case, Jorge Pla-García insists that it is a partial success because it is about “simple essays” to find out how it works and the money comes from private investors and public financing that will then have “a formidable economic and technological return for decades to come.”
The astrophysicist points out that it is “an investment in the future” and that “although perhaps they were a bit hasty when launching and more tests could have been done, the rocket rose and reached 39 kilometers in height.” Based on the data obtained from these tests, Jorge Pla-García anticipates that there will be a new release in coming monthsalthough “it is possible that the new arrival of the human being on the Moon may be delayed.”
Elon Musk’s goal
The goal of the tycoon, Elon Musk, is to get about 100 people to the Moon and Mars by the year 2026. Experts don’t see Musk’s idea as far-fetched, but they think it’s a short time. Aeronautics specialists from Columbia University consider it more likely that this feat will be achieved in about 10 or 15 years.
There are no official figures of what it has cost to manufacture the rocket, although Elon Musk said, 4 years ago, on an American television channel that developing “Starship” had a price of around 3,000 million dollars. At the moment the date of the next release is unknown.
#hasty