Dec 11, 2020 12:28 EST
As it ended the first high-altitude test of its Starship interplanetary launch transport system in flames, astronautic launch vehicle manufacturer Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (SpaceX) was quick to announce that the next test would be of the spacecraft s SN9 prototype. SpaceX tested the SN8 prototype of the upper stage of the two-stage Starship vehicle, with the stage being tested being eventually responsible for making manned and unmanned flights not only to the Martian surface but also to the Moon and to Low Earth Orbit (LEO).
However, SpaceX s plans to conduct this test might have been moved forward as the SN9 prototype suffered an accident in the company s facilities in Boca Chica, Texas.