SpaceX Starship SN11 launch - As it happened: Elon Musk says Mars-bound rocket made ‘crater’

SpaceX Starship SN11 launch: confusion amid fog-shrouded flight test of mars-bound rocket.mp4

SpaceX has completed the fourth major flight test of a Starship rocket, which appears to have ended in a huge explosion once again.

Poor weather conditions at the launch site means it is still unclear what happened, but SpaceX boss Elon Musk said “something significant happened shortly after landing burn start” that resulted in a crater.

The attempt to launch and land a Starship rocket on Tuesday from SpaceX’s Boca Chica facility in Texas came less than four weeks after the last test ended in a fiery explosion.

Previous launch attempts on Friday and Monday were scrubbed - the first due to technical issues, the second as a result of an absent FAA inspector.

All three previous Starship flight test have ended in a “rapid unscheduled disassembly”, as SpaceX puts it, and a successful launch and landing would have been a major step towards realising Musk’s Mars ambitions.

SpaceX posted a live stream of the event a few minutes before it took place.

[30 March 2021 13:20 · Anthony Cuthbertson]

It is still extremely foggy in Boca Chica. Sunrise is at 7.22am, in two minutes, so hopefully that will help clear it in time.

[30 March 2021 13:42 · Anthony Cuthbertson]

T-Minus 20 minutes and we can just about glimpse Starship SN11 through the fog.

Venting noises can already be heard, so launch preparations continue to progress.

[30 March 2021 13:50 · Anthony Cuthbertson]

We can’t share any images with you because the launchpad is still shrouded in fog.

It’s 10 minutes to go until Elon Musk’s stated lift-off time, but hopefully SpaceX holds off until the launchpad clears.

However, from SpaceX’s perspective, visibility is not actually necessary to perform a flight test.

[30 March 2021 13:52 · Anthony Cuthbertson]

Huge venting noises coming out of the fog. Seven minutes to go.

[30 March 2021 13:55 · Anthony Cuthbertson]

This would usually be around the time that SpaceX broadcasts its official live stream, but there’s still not a lot to see.

Hopefully they recycle this launch to take place in an hour or so when the fog disperses.

[30 March 2021 13:57 · Anthony Cuthbertson]

SpaceX’s stream is live!

[30 March 2021 13:58 · Anthony Cuthbertson]

T-minus 2 minutes.

[30 March 2021 13:59 · Anthony Cuthbertson]

Hopefully we’ll see Starship SN11 emerge from this fog.

30 seconds to go.

[30 March 2021 14:00 · Anthony Cuthbertson]

We have lift off!

[30 March 2021 14:03 · Anthony Cuthbertson]

Everything is going to plan so far, with all three Raptor engines firing smoothly. The only views we’re getting unfortunately are from the onboard cameras.

(SpaceX)