SpaceX’s startup-minded move-fast-and-break-things ethos is bold, and arguably helped the company perfect the landing system for its flagship Falcon 9 rocket. But Starship is a much bigger system. Breaking things means a much bigger cleanup.
. Sand- and ash-like matter spread out miles beyond the designated 700-acre debris field that was established before the launch. It’s unclear yet whether the matter could pose a health hazard. According to CNBC, residents of Port Isabel, a town nearby the Starship spaceport, some residents reported windows breaking in their homes and businesses.
Chris Combs, an aerodynamics and mechanical engineering researcher at the University of Texas, San Antonio, pointed out that SpaceX already faced quite a bit of trouble with the FAA when the agencyand finally give its stamp of approval. The wait forced SpaceX to put a long pause on multiple projects.
“One thing that’s really possible is that, because they have so many engines going out, the vehicle was tumbling and wasn’t totally in control,” Combs explained. “It’s possible that the separation orientation wasn’t really what it should have been when they tried to initiate it.” That’s a pretty clear illustration of the culture that got SpaceX to where it is—and the culture that now may be holding it back. Much of SpaceX’s status as the world’s premiere innovator in space is a result of it trying and failing a, and learning as much as it could have along the way. That’s why the company almost seems to wear their failures like badges of pride. Each rocket explosion or booster crashing during landing attempts is a mark that they’re getting closer to their ultimate goals.
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