por Excélsior
CIENCIA Y TECNOLOGÍA
El cohete Starship de la empresa SpaceX explotó a los pocos minutos de aterrizar en una prueba.
Un prototipo del cohete Starship, de la sociedad SpaceX, cuyos dos aparatos precedentes estallaron tras tocar tierra, aterrizó el miércoles en Texas, pero poco después explotó.
excelsior.com.mx/Explota prototipo de cohete Starship SN10 de SpaceX al aterrizar/FOTO: CAPTURA DE PANTALLA/NASA.
"Un magnífico aterrizaje", comentó SpaceX en el video que transmitió en vivo el vuelo de prueba. Sin embargo al pie de la nave se veían llamas que fueron extinguidas por los equipos en el lugar y pocos minutos después el aparato explotó y se hizo añicos.
LA STARSHIP SN10 ACABA DE EXPLOTAR EN LA PLATAFORMA (NO SE CAYÓ). pic.twitter.com/zM0NOIjbPU
— Frontera Espacial (@FronteraSpacial) March 3, 2021
Información:
Starship | SN10 | High-Altitude Flight Test
As early as Wednesday, March 3, the SpaceX team will attempt a high-altitude flight test of Starship serial number 10 (SN10) – our third high-altitude suborbital flight test of a Starship prototype from SpaceX’s site in Cameron County, Texas. Similar to the high-altitude flight tests of Starship SN8 and SN9, SN10 will be powered through ascent by three Raptor engines, each shutting down in sequence prior to the vehicle reaching apogee – approximately 10 km in altitude. SN10 will perform a propellant transition to the internal header tanks, which hold landing propellant, before reorienting itself for reentry and a controlled aerodynamic descent.
The Starship prototype will descend under active aerodynamic control, accomplished by independent movement of two forward and two aft flaps on the vehicle. All four flaps are actuated by an onboard flight computer to control Starship’s attitude during flight and enable precise landing at the intended location. SN10’s Raptor engines will then reignite as the vehicle attempts a landing flip maneuver immediately before touching down on the landing pad adjacent to the launch mount.
A controlled aerodynamic descent with body flaps and vertical landing capability, combined with in-space refilling, are critical to landing Starship at destinations across the solar system where prepared surfaces or runways do not exist, and returning to Earth. This capability will enable a fully reusable transportation system designed to carry both crew and cargo on long-duration, interplanetary flights and help humanity return to the Moon, and travel to Mars and beyond.
Given the dynamic schedule of development testing, stay tuned to our social media channels for updates as we move toward SpaceX’s third high-altitude flight test of Starship!
