SpaceX is developing the Starship SN1, a new prototype of the spacecraft that will one day land on the Red Planet since the end of 2019. The company led by Elon Musk decided to test the spacecraft in a test in Boca Chica, Texas, however , the space vehicle did not resist pressure and exploded.
The test carried out on February 28 had the objective of verifying if the structure and components of the prototype were able to resist cryogenic pressure levels. Video captured by sources close to SpaceX's Texas facility reveals that one of the spacecraft's tanks filled with liquid nitrogen, thus causing a system disruption and explosion.
In December 2019, Elon Musk announced that the SpaceX team had spent a very busy Christmas season developing the Starship SN1 prototype. At the time, the company was developing the top dome of the Starship SN1, seen by its CEO as the most difficult part when it comes to the components of the new ship. The tycoon revealed that he expected the space vehicle to take off in two or three months.
Recently, SpaceX obtained approval to build a new factory where to develop the technology necessary to take manned missions Lua and Mars. If all goes as planned, the future facilities of the company led by Elon Musk will be located in one of the segments of the port of Los Angeles for the next 10 years.
SpaceX continues, however, to work to obtain the necessary licenses for further tests of the spacecraft that will travel to Mars. By mid-March of this year, the company wants to test the Starship's Raptor engines at a higher altitude than usual and then be able to land it on firm ground to prove that it can be reused when it lands on other planets.
In January of this year, SpaceX was able to successfully carry out a test to the mission's emergency system, managing to obtain NASA certification for the beginning of piloted tests. The next step is to do a manned test, with Demo-2, which is scheduled for the first quarter of 2020.
