Why do SpaceX rockets keep exploding?

Through another failed failed test this week, as the ambitious heavy missile exploded again, it may be reasonably suspicious that luck has finally run out for Spacex.

But this degree of failure during the development process is not actually unusual, according to Windy Whitman Cope, an expert at the Advanced Air and Space Studies College, especially when new space technology tests complex as a large missile. However, the spacecraft tests are differently different from the slow and fixed development that we expect from the space sector.

“The reason is that many people see this unusual is that this is not the usual way that we historically tested the missiles,” says Whitman -cup.

Historically, space agencies such as NASA or old airlines such as UNINCE Alliance (ULA) launch at the time of the development of missiles and were not tested until it was confident in a successful result. This is still the case today with the main NASA projects such as the development of the space launch system (SLS), which has now continued for more than a decade. “They will take as long as they need to make sure that the missile will work and that the launch will be successful,” says Whitman -cup.

Spacex chose a different path, testing, failing, and frequently repeated. This process was at the core of its success, which allowed the company to make developments such as the Falcon 9 reusable missile at a rapid pace. However, this also means very repeated and public failures, which complained about environmental damage in the local area surrounding the launch site and caused the company to be affected by organizational agencies. There are also great concerns about the political relations of CEO Elon Musk for the Trump administration and its non -democratic impact on the federal organization of SpaceX.

Even in the context of Spacex’s approach, the development of Spacex-Fast-Break-Break-Break, though, seemed to develop mothers chaotic. Compared to the development of the Falcon 9 missile, which had a lot of failures, but a generally clear front path of failure often in failure less and less over time, Starship has a much more intermittent record.

The previous development was more gradual, which first indicates that the missile was sound before moving to more complex problems such as reinforcing or first stage. The company did not even try to save the supporter from Falcon 9 and reuse it until several years in the test.

The mouth is not like this. “They are trying to do everything simultaneously with Starship”, as the company tries to appear completely new missile with new engines and make it reusable simultaneously. “It is really a very difficult geometric challenge.”

RAPTOR engines that operate the championship from harsh geometry are especially in particular, as there are many of them – 33 per tournament, all of which have gathered together – and they should be able to perform the difficult achievement of re -signal in space. The convenience of the engines has succeeded in some of the previous stars testing trips, but it was also a failure point.

Why, then, pays Spacex a lot, very quickly? This is because musk focuses on the laser to reach Mars. Although it will be possible in theory to send a task to Mars using current missiles like Falcon 9, the huge size of equipment, supplies and people needed for Mars mission has a very large block. To make Mars tasks even remotely, you should be able to move a lot of mass in one launch – and thus the need for a much larger missile like Starship or SLS in NASA.

Previously, NASA was setting up its bets by developing its heavy launch missile as well as supporting the development of the vehicle. But with recent financing discounts, it seems that SLS will get more and more stability – leaving Spacex as the only player in the city to facilitate Mars plans in NASA.

But there is still a lot of horrific work that must be done to get a vehicle to a place where dangerous plans can be made to the crew missions.

Will the stars test to Mars take place by 2026, with a test that was followed at the earliest time of 2028, as Musk said this week he aims to? “I think it is completely imaginary,” said Whitman CoB

“I don’t see Spacex put his money in his mouth,” says Whitman -cup. “If they make the launch window next year, that will be inconsistent. There is no way because they put people on that now. I seriously doubt whether they will get it.”

This does not mean that the spacecraft will never reach Mars. “I think Spacex will manufacture his way out of it. I think their engineering is good enough to do stars,” says Whitman -cup. But getting a non -cubic missile to Mars during the next decade is much more realistic than next year.

Putting people on the missile, is another matter completely. “If they are looking to build a large -scale human settlement?” “I don’t know that I will live to see it.”