Musk calls SpaceX test a success despite fiery finale
Justin Bachman, Bloomberg News In this image taken from video posted by SpaceX, the company s Starship becomes engulfed in flames and ruptures upon touching down after a test flight, Wednesday, Dec. 9, 2020, in a remote area of Texas. , SpaceX via AP
SpaceXâs first high-altitude test flight of its next-generation Starship spacecraft ended in a massive fireball in South Texas after a mission that otherwise went smoothly until the landing, prompting an upbeat reaction from founder Elon Musk.
The nearly seven-minute flight Wednesday was stable until the landing attempt when the Starship failed to slow down enough, video images provided by SpaceX showed. The impact of the unoccupied rocket then engulfed the landing site in flames.