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A Starship Post-mortem: Why the giant rocket failed and why it’s Elon Musk’s fault
On Thursday, SpaceX launched its first full version of the “Starship” rocket from a pad on the coast near South Padre Island, Texas.
Four minutes into the flight the rocket was deliberately destroyed at an altitude of about 35 km, with debris raining down about a dozen kilometers out into the Gulf.
In many ways, the flight was a triumph. It was the largest rocket ever constructed.
It had more engines than any other booster in history, edging out Russia’s failed N-1 Moon rocket.
It was constructed largely in the open, in full view of fascinated space fans, instead of…