Starship could create more debris than an anti-satellite test if it explodes in orbit
As Starship, the world’s largest and most powerful rocket, gears up for an attempt to finally reach Earth’s orbit, experts say the risk of an in-flight catastrophe – and a cloud of debris – “needs to be of concern”. Elon Musk’s SpaceX is expected to launch the Starship spacecraft and Super Heavy booster for the launch system’s 14th test flight and first orbital test flight later this month.…
SpaceX is preparing to launch its Starship spacecraft and Super Heavy booster for the launch system's 14th test flight and first orbital test flight. Experts have expressed concern about the risk of an in-flight catastrophe and the potential for a cloud of debris.
According to Moriba Jah, a professor of aerospace engineering at The University of Texas at Austin, if the Starship's upper stage were to explode in orbit, it could create a significant amount of debris, potentially on a larger scale than Russia's anti-satellite missile test in November 2021. The Russian test had detrimental consequences for the operation of SpaceX's Starlink satellite constellation.
The US Federal Aviation Administration had yet to grant final regulatory approval for the test flight as of the end of August.
Brief written by urgent.news from South China Morning Post, Reuters Business via SCMP — 2 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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