On Tuesday morning, for the fourth time, SpaceX attempted a high-altitude test of its next-generation rocket and for the fourth time, it exploded. Through a series of test flights since December, SpaceX has successfully launched prototypes of Starship, intended to take people to Mars one day, and after reaching an altitude of several miles, demonstrated a controlled belly flop back toward to the ground. But each time, the rocket encountered trouble during or after landing, resulting in spectacular explosions. This time, something went wrong earlier, as the engines reignited at the start of the landing procedure. “Looks like we’ve had another exciting test,” said John Insprucker, a SpaceX engineer narrating the company’s webcast.

Source: International New York Times March 30, 2021 14:03 UTC