keneci
News • Science & Tech • Comedy
Starship 7th Test Flight: Booster Caught By 'Chopsticks' Tower; Ship Lost In Explosion
January 16, 2025
post photo preview

SpaceX successfully executed its second-ever “chopsticks” catch of a Super Heavy booster (or Booster 14) using the “Mechazilla” launch tower on Thursday(Jan. 16), during the seventh uncrewed test flight of the company's 123-meter Starship rocket. However, the megarocket's upper stage(or Ship 33) was lost approximately 8.5 minutes into the flight in a “rapid unscheduled disassembly(RUD)” or explosion.

The reusable Ship and Booster combo lifted off at 2237 UTC, from SpaceX Starbase site in South Texas. The RUD occurred while the Ship was ascending and had already reached an altitude of 145 kilometers(km) and a speed of 21,243 km per hour.

All six of Ship's Raptor engines fired up during ascent burn, "but as we were getting to the end of that ascent burn, we saw engines dropping out on telemetry, and we have since lost contact with the Ship,” Dan Huot, of SpaceX's communications team, said during the company's launch webcast.

Huot and fellow webcast host Kate Tice later confirmed that Ship had been lost. The reasons were not immediately clear, the duo said.

Ship was supposed to fly much of the way around the world, then splash down softly in the Indian Ocean off the west coast of Australia about 66 minutes after liftoff, as it did on the three previous Starship launches.

Debris from the spacecraft was reportedly spotted falling over the Caribbean, causing flights in the area to be delayed or diverted as a precautionary measure. Videos circulating online show the debris over Turks and Caicos.

SpaceX has stated that it will review the data from the flight to determine the root cause of the anomaly and improve the reliability of the Starship spacecraft.

In a statement on its website, the company writes,

"Following stage separation, the Starship upper stage successfully lit all six Raptor engines and performed its ascent burn to space. Prior to the burn’s completion, telemetry was lost with the vehicle after approximately eight and a half minutes of flight. Initial data indicates a fire developed in the aft section of the ship, leading to a rapid unscheduled disassembly.

"Starship flew within its designated launch corridor – as all U.S. launches do to safeguard the public both on the ground, on water and in the air. Any surviving pieces of debris would have fallen into the designated hazard area. If you believe you have identified a piece of debris, please do not attempt to handle or retrieve the debris directly. Instead, please contact your local authorities or the SpaceX Debris Hotline at 1-866-623-0234 or at [email protected].

"As always, success comes from what we learn, and this flight test will help us improve Starship’s reliability as SpaceX seeks to make life multiplanetary. Data review is already underway as we seek out root cause. We will conduct a thorough investigation, in coordination with the FAA, and implement corrective actions to make improvements on future Starship flight tests.

"The ship and booster for Starship’s eighth flight test are built and going through prelaunch testing and preparing to fly as we continue a rapid iterative development process to build a fully and rapidly reusable space transportation system."

community logo
Join the keneci Community
To read more articles like this, sign up and join my community today
0
What else you may like…
Videos
Posts
Articles
SpaceX Starlink Internet Satellites

With Starlink internet, data is continuously being sent between a ground dish and a Starlink satellite orbiting 550km above. Furthermore, the Starlink satellite zooms across the sky at 27,000 km/hr! MORE VIDEOS ON KENECI NETWORK RUMBLE CHANNEL: https://rumble.com/c/Keneci

00:28:08
Elon Musk, DOGE Speak On Waste And Fraud

US Department of Government Efficiency Services (USDS) led by Elon Musk speak on the "mind-boggling" fraud and waste in UInited States federal government

00:00:45
January 17, 2025
SpaceX Launches Starship 7th Test Flight

SpaceX successfully executed its second-ever “chopsticks” catch of a Super Heavy booster (or Booster 14) using the “Mechazilla” launch tower on Thursday(Jan. 16), during the seventh uncrewed test flight of the company's 123-meter Starship rocket. However, the megarocket's upper stage(or Ship 33) was lost approximately 8.5 minutes into the flight in a “rapid unscheduled disassembly(RUD)” or explosion

00:10:30
Welcome to Keneci Network!

Join the conversations!

September 17, 2024
Charges Against Sean 'Diddy' Combs In Grand Jury Indictment

The rapper was charged with racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion, and transportation to engage in prostitution in the indictment unsealed Tuesday(Sept. 17)

Combs-Indictment-24-Cr.-542.pdf
"Dear husband"

A Dubai princess took to social media to announce she's divorcing her husband who's worth $40B.

She claims the billionaire is busy with his "other [female] companions"

post photo preview
post photo preview
O3b mPOWER Mission: SpaceX Launches Satellites For SES' Broadband Constellation

SpaceX launched the SES O3b mPOWER mission at 2112 UTC on July 22, from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, carrying the ninth and tenth satellites of the O3b mPOWER constellation into medium Earth orbit (MEO).

The Falcon 9 rocket's first stage booster B1090-6 landed back to Earth on the droneship "Just Read the Instructions" approximately 8.5 minutes after liftoff, as planned.

The launch was originally scheduled for Monday, July 21, but was scrubbed 11 seconds before liftoff due to unspecified reasons.

The two O3b mPOWER satellites, built by Boeing, are part of Luxembourg-based SES’s global broadband system designed to deliver high-speed, low-latency internet to remote and mobile markets, competing with SpaceX Starlink which deploys satellites to low Earth orbit(LEO) instead.

SES plans to continue expanding the O3b mPOWER constellation through 2026 to meet rising global demand for reliable, high-throughput connectivity. The company's mPOWER constellation consists of eight satellites in medium-Earth orbit, all of which have been launched by SpaceX. The network is already operational, but will eventually feature 13 spacecraft.

Tuesday's mission marked SpaceX's 89th Falcon 9 launch of the year and the sixth flight for this particular first-stage booster, which had previously launched NASA’s Crew-10, the Bandwagon 3 rideshare, and two Starlink missions.

Read full Article
post photo preview
Tesla Unveils Retro-futuristic Diner With Drive-In Supercharger Stalls

Tesla has unveiled a unique 24-hour Tesla Diner & Drive-In on Santa Monica Boulevard in Los Angeles, blending retro-futurism with modern EV infrastructure. The venue, designed by Stantec with input from restaurateur Bill Chait and chef Eric Greenspan, features a chrome-and-neon aesthetic, offering classic Americana fare like burgers, fries, and “Pie Shakes” alongside up to 80 V4 Supercharger stalls.

Launched at 4:20 p.m. on a Monday, the opening drew long lines of Teslas and influencer buzz, with mixed reviews, showcasing Tesla's ambition to redefine idle time as a branded microexperience.

With roller-skating carhops, robot popcorn servers, and drive-in movie clips beamed into cars via Bluetooth, the diner is as much a brand spectacle as it is a dining spot, complete with Tesla merch and Instagram-worthy photo ops.

Conceived by Elon Musk in 2018, the diner transforms the utilitarian act of charging an EV into an immersive experience, aiming to capture customer attention and revenue during downtime. Customers can order via the Tesla app, triggered by a geofence 15 minutes away, with food served in futuristic packaging like Cybertruck-shaped burger boxes.

The diner doubles as a high-concept experiment to extend Tesla’s ecosystem beyond cars, integrating dining, entertainment, and merchandising into its Supercharger network, with Musk himself praising the “coolest” LA spot on X.

Musk has hinted at expanding the concept to other cities and Supercharger sites, like SpaceX’s Starbase in Texas, envisioning a global network of “good food, good vibes & entertainment.”

The diner’s a proof of concept for Tesla’s broader vision: a vertically integrated empire where cars, energy, software, robots, and even hamburgers coexist, turning a simple question like “fries with that?” into a glimpse of a new business model.

Read full Article
post photo preview
Grok's Ani Raise Real-life Sexual Relationship Concerns Over AI Companions: Critics

xAI has launched AI companions for its SuperGrok subscribers, featuring characters like Ani, a goth anime girl, and Bad Rudy, a red panda, sparking concerns about users preferring AI interactions over real-life relationships. The feature, available to those paying $30 monthly, includes NSFW content options and has drawn criticism for potentially encouraging unhealthy emotional dependencies.

Ani can engage in flirty and, in some cases, NSFW interactions; while Rudy, a red panda with a family-friendly version available by default, offers wholesome conversations but also has a "Bad Rudi" mode delivering insults and vulgar language.

xAI CEO Elon Musk has also mentioned that a male companion is in development and will be released in the next few months. Valentine is inspired by characters like Edward Cullen from Twilight and Christian Grey from 50 Shades of Grey.

Critics argue that young users already obsessed with 'gooning' (slang for sexually suggestive) content from OnlyFans creators and AI 'brainrot,' do not need more of what they call readily available 'AI hookers.' However tech observers note that Ani and Rudy are available only to paying adult subscribers.

Read full Article
See More
Available on mobile and TV devices
google store google store app store app store
google store google store app tv store app tv store amazon store amazon store roku store roku store
Powered by Locals