Space

Jason Russell | From the February 2024 issue

In November, SpaceX conducted the second unmanned test of Starship, with mixed success. Unlike in the first test, all 33 engines fired and the super heavy booster and Starship spacecraft successfully separated. Thirty seconds after separation, the rocket experienced "rapid unscheduled disassembly" (read: explosion) with the spacecraft following soon after. The company will file a mishap report to the Federal Aviation Administration and may have to wait months for regulatory approval to conduct a third test.