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Yahoo
15 hours ago
- Science
- Yahoo
Watch: SpaceX Starship explodes during test in Texas. What's next for Elon Musk's company?
SpaceX's massive Starship exploded in a spectacular fiery blaze during an engine test in Texas, raising questions about what's next for Elon Musk's spaceflight company. This time, the explosion was not a result of a launch, but a routine test to prepare the rocket for what would have been its 10th flight since 2023. The dramatic failure marked the latest setback for Elon Musk's spaceflight company, founded in 2002, as Starship continues to face challenges. The rocket has struggled to replicate earlier mission successes, with all three of its 2025 test flights ending in failure. The spacecraft, standing nearly 400 feet tall when fully stacked, did not injure or endanger anyone when it exploded in a fireball that could be seen for miles, SpaceX said. Musk, whose public rift with President Donald Trump recently cast into doubt the future of the U.S. spaceflight program, appeared to initially make light of the mishap – saying "Just a scratch" in a post on social media site X, which he also owns. More: Elon Musk hits back after Trump threatens contracts. SpaceX's government ties, explained The explosion occurred around 11 p.m. local time Wednesday, June 18, while SpaceX was preparing for Starship's upcoming flight test, known as Flight 10, from Starbase – the company town in South Texas near the U.S.-Mexico border. The Starship spacecraft was standing alone on the test stand prior to being mounted on top of the booster when it blew up. In this case, the Starship vehicle had already undergone a single-engine fire earlier in the week and SpaceX was preparing to test all six when the explosion occurred. The mishap, which SpaceX later referred to on its website as "a sudden energetic event," completely destroyed the spacecraft and ignited several fires that caused damage in the area surrounding the test stand. While SpaceX is investigating the mishap, Musk said in a post on X that preliminary data suggest a pressurized tank failed at the top of the rocket. The company attributed it to a "major anomaly,' and said all personnel were safe. SpaceX's latest Starship launch marked a failure, following two earlier explosions this year and marking the ninth test flight overall. From launch to loss of the ship, high-quality footage was sent to the live coverage via Starlink. The world watched as, once again, the massive launch system failed to go as planned. The May 27 flight was aimed at testing much more than what transpired. While the ship coasted this time for close to 40 minutes and made it to the planned area of reentry, it ended up in a spin, which caused it to break apart over the Indian Ocean. Of the eight previous flights, outcomes were evenly split between successes and failures, making Tuesday's mission, which ended in another explosion, a continued challenge in the company's quest for orbital launch reliability. Starship's first two flight tests of 2025 – on Jan. 16 and again on March 6 – ended in dramatic explosions that sent cascades of fiery debris streaking across the sky. In both mishaps, the upper stage, the vehicle where astronauts and cargo would ride, came apart mere minutes into its flight instead of landing as planned in the Indian Ocean. In the Flight 9 test mission, SpaceX made modifications to the 400-foot vehicle as the company continues to develop Starship for future expeditions to the moon and Mars. For the first time, SpaceX reused a Super Heavy booster rocket that had previously flown. The booster was first used during Starship's seventh test flight in January, which ended in failure. While some components were new, including a replaced heat shield, most of the hardware was reused, or what SpaceX calls "flight-proven," including 29 of its 33 Raptor engines. All of SpaceX's Texas operations — including the explosion during Wednesday's engine test — take place at the company's Starbase facility in Boca Chica, a beachside community near Brownsville. The site sits along the Gulf of America, about 20 miles from the U.S.-Mexico border. Although Starbase is closed to the public during launches, a nearby location has become a favorite among Texans and space enthusiasts hoping to catch a glimpse of Starship in action. Isla Blanca Park, 33174 State Park Road 100, is located on the southernmost tip of South Padre Island. With more than a mile of beaches, the park reliably attracts sizable crowds anytime Starship is due for its latest flight test. More: Where is Starbase, Texas? Elon Musk's SpaceX headquarters voted to become a city But Starship still has a long way to go in its development before it's ready to take humans to the moon or Mars. It does not appear as if the Federal Aviation Administration will conduct an investigation into the latest explosion since "the activity and anomaly were not associated with licensed activity," the agency said Friday, June 20, in an email to the USA TODAY Network. But in addition to simply being able to fly safely – in other words, without exploding – Starship also needs to be capable of refueling in orbit. The maneuver would be an especially difficult one that's never before been accomplished. SpaceX is planning to increase the number of Starship launches after receiving key regulatory approval to conduct 25 flight tests a year. Just four Starship test missions were conducted in 2024. Following the latest Starship launch in late-May, Musk had previously said the next three test flights would occur in quicker succession, with a Starship launch taking place every three to four weeks. This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: SpaceX Starship explodes in latest test. See video from Texas
Scottish Sun
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Scottish Sun
Fears Trump's new $400m Qatari ‘flying palace' Air Force One replacement is vulnerable to devastating HACKS
A LAVISH jumbo jet Donald Trump plans to receive from Qatar will be vulnerable to hacking, an expert has warned. The Boeing 747 - dubbed a "palace in the sky" - could even be blasted out the sky, aviation specialist Jeff Wise believes. 10 Trump's new 'palace in the sky' is vulnerable to hacking, experts say Credit: YouTube/Spotti Flight 10 The lavish $400million plane could even be blasted out of the sky Credit: YouTube/Spotti Flight 10 Trump sparked concern after he willingly accepted the plush plane from the Qatari royal family, headed by Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tanim bin-Hamad Al Thani (L) Credit: AP US President Trump, 78, has sparked concern with his willingness to accept the plush flying mansion - worth an estimated $400m (£300m) - from the Qatari royal family. The 13-year-old mega jet would be kitted out with top-tier communications and security tech before being used as Air Force One to ferry Trump about. It would need significant retrofitting and clearance from security officials. But plane expert Wise says it would take years and billions of dollars to reach anywhere near the level of security offered by the existing Air Force One. READ MORE WORLD NEWS TRUMP SPEAKS Donald Trump issues statement after Joe Biden revealed cancer diagnosis He fears Trump will bypass necessary measures - which could therefore invite hacking or a devastating assassination attempt. Wise told The Sun: 'This Air Force One would be a major intelligence target for any adversary nation or even our allies, because allies love to spy on each other. 'The United States is being given this albatross that they are going to have to spend billions of dollars on to fix up for the personal use of Trump. 'If your job is to protect the President of the United States or if your job is to protect the secrets of the United States, then this is a massive headache for you. 'This is a plane that does not have secure communications and the anti-missiles defence systems that a normal Air Force One has. It's just wide open. 'This is an administration that is completely irresponsible in the way they use their personal devices. They're using these off-brand apps to communicate. It's just a hacker's dream.' Donald Trump defends Qatar's gift of a $400 million plane The main aircraft used in the current Air Force One fleet includes two Boeing 747-200 jumbo jets. They have been operational since 1990 and are said to be not up to scratch compared to modern planes. But the Air Force contract with Boeing to replace those aircraft has been plagued by delays and budget overruns. The original contract was signed in 2018 - but last year Boeing predicted that the jet would not be ready until 2029. By then, Trump will have left office. Wise fears shortcuts could be used to get the jumbo jet in operation before the end of Trump's second term - which could spell disaster. He added: 'If you try to do something quickly, of course it's going to be compromised. "Of course it's not going to have the same level of capabilities. Now, what are you going to decide to cut? What are you going to decide to leave out? 'It's not realistic that you're going to make it safe in the way that an Air Force One has traditionally been safe. Everything has been traditionally done to a certain standard. 'Of course you're not going to match those standards.' 10 The jet would be kitted out with top-tier communications and security tech before being used as Air Force One Credit: YouTube/Spotti Flight 10 Jeff Wise told The Sun it would take years and billions of dollars to reach to proper standards of Air Force One Credit: YouTube/Spotti Flight 10 Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani (R) shakes the hand of the US President Donald Trump (L) Credit: AFP Wise pointed to Iran as one example of a nation that might attempt a missile attack on the potential Air Force One. Former security advisor to Trump, John Bolton, said earlier this month he and the President are on an 'assassination list' from the seething Middle East country. It follows the assassination of military leader Qasem Soleimani in 2020, who was killed in a US airstrike ordered by Trump. Wise continued: 'I would say an increasing number of people would like to target Air Force One. 'America's list of enemies is growing longer and longer as we become an increasingly horrible nation, from the Houthis to the Iranians to the Russians.' He added: 'It's hard to parse the motives of an adversary. Would they really benefit from killing Trump? You can easily imagine it. Remember, we assassinated one of their leaders.' Wise warned rival rogue nations will already be wondering how to target the jet. He said: 'Imagine all the people who surround an airplane when it's on the tarmac at an airport. Refuelers, caterers, security etc. 10 The 13-year-old jet could be targeted by Iran, Wise suggested Credit: AFP 10 The plane marks the most expensive gift ever given to a US president Credit: YouTube/Spotti Flight 'It's easy to imagine a foreign intelligence service getting their people into this crew and physically having contact with this plane, installing monitoring devices or what have you. 'So anyone who's worth their salt is going to be trying to break through what would normally be considerable defensive measures that would normally surround a plane like this.' Wise added: 'I think you're looking at this plane being bugged. I think you're potentially having listening devices, recording devices, both audio and radio frequency being installed potentially anywhere on this fairly massive airplane. 'So it would be a huge job to try to sweep it and make sure it's not compromised.' Trump insists it will benefit US taxpayers by serving as a temporary replacement for Air Force One. But the plane has raised ethical questions about what would be the most expensive gift ever received by a US President, by far. Wise has long warned of the potential for evil world leaders to target aviation to hurt the West. Earlier this month, he warned Russian war monster Vladimir Putin is plotting a deadly cyber attack that could result in planes falling out of the sky. He pointed towards a string of explosions and cyber attacks Putin has been linked with. This includes a letter bomb that was planted on a plane to Britain, but instead set fire to a DHL warehouse in Birmingham. He rocked the aviation industry in 2014 when he claimed Russia had hijacked missing plane MH370 and flew it to Kazakhstan. Just months later Russia shot down flight MH17, killing all 283 on board during a commercial flight from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur. Russia has always denied responsibility. 10 Wise suggested that the plane could fall victim to a cyber attack Credit: YouTube/Spotti Flight
The Irish Sun
19-05-2025
- Politics
- The Irish Sun
Fears Trump's new $400m Qatari ‘flying palace' Air Force One replacement is vulnerable to devastating HACKS
A LAVISH jumbo jet Donald Trump plans to receive from Qatar will be vulnerable to hacking, an expert has warned. The Boeing 747 - dubbed 10 Trump's new 'palace in the sky' is vulnerable to hacking, experts say Credit: YouTube/Spotti Flight 10 The lavish $400million plane could even be blasted out of the sky Credit: YouTube/Spotti Flight 10 Trump sparked concern after he willingly accepted the plush plane from the Qatari royal family, headed by Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tanim bin-Hamad Al Thani (L) Credit: AP US President Trump, 78, has sparked concern with his willingness to family . The 13-year-old mega jet would be kitted out with top-tier communications and security tech before being used as Air Force One to ferry Trump about. It would need significant retrofitting and clearance from security officials. But plane expert Wise says it would take years and billions of dollars to reach anywhere near the level of security offered by the existing Air Force One. READ MORE WORLD NEWS He fears Trump will bypass necessary measures - which could therefore invite hacking or a devastating assassination attempt. Wise told The Sun: 'This Air Force One would be a major intelligence target for any adversary nation or even our allies, because allies love to spy on each other. 'The United States is being given this albatross that they are going to have to spend billions of dollars on to fix up for the personal use of Trump. 'If your job is to protect the President of the United States or if your job is to protect the secrets of the United States, then this is a massive headache for you. Most read in The US Sun 'This is a plane that does not have secure communications and the anti-missiles defence systems that a normal Air Force One has. It's just wide open. 'This is an administration that is completely irresponsible in the way they use their personal devices. They're using these off-brand apps to communicate. It's just a hacker's dream.' Donald Trump defends Qatar's gift of a $400 million plane The main aircraft used in the current Air Force One fleet includes two Boeing 747-200 jumbo jets. They have been operational since 1990 and are said to be not up to scratch compared to modern planes. But the Air Force contract with Boeing to replace those aircraft has been plagued by delays and budget overruns. The original contract was signed in 2018 - but last year Boeing predicted that the jet would not be ready until 2029. By then, Trump will have left office. Wise fears shortcuts could be used to get the jumbo jet in operation before the end of Trump's second term - which could spell disaster. He added: 'If you try to do something quickly, of course it's going to be compromised. "Of course it's not going to have the same level of capabilities. Now, what are you going to decide to cut? What are you going to decide to leave out? 'It's not realistic that you're going to make it safe in the way that an Air Force One has traditionally been safe. Everything has been traditionally done to a certain standard. 'Of course you're not going to match those standards.' 10 The jet would be kitted out with top-tier communications and security tech before being used as Air Force One Credit: YouTube/Spotti Flight 10 Jeff Wise told The Sun it would take years and billions of dollars to reach to proper standards of Air Force One Credit: YouTube/Spotti Flight 10 Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani (R) shakes the hand of the US President Donald Trump (L) Credit: AFP Wise pointed to Iran as one example of a nation that might attempt a missile attack on the potential Air Force One. Former security advisor to Trump, It follows the assassination of military leader Qasem Soleimani in 2020, who was killed in a US airstrike ordered by Trump. Wise continued: 'I would say an increasing number of people would like to target Air Force One. 'America's list of enemies is growing longer and longer as we become an increasingly horrible nation, from the Houthis to the Iranians to the Russians.' He added: 'It's hard to parse the motives of an adversary. Would they really benefit from killing Trump? You can easily imagine it. Remember, we assassinated one of their leaders.' Wise warned rival rogue nations will already be wondering how to target the jet. He said: 'Imagine all the people who surround an airplane when it's on the tarmac at an airport. Refuelers, caterers, security etc. 10 The 13-year-old jet could be targeted by Iran, Wise suggested Credit: AFP 10 The plane marks the most expensive gift ever given to a US president Credit: YouTube/Spotti Flight 'It's easy to imagine a foreign intelligence service getting their people into this crew and physically having contact with this plane, installing monitoring devices or what have you. 'So anyone who's worth their salt is going to be trying to break through what would normally be considerable defensive measures that would normally surround a plane like this.' Wise added: 'I think you're looking at this plane being bugged. I think you're potentially having listening devices, recording devices, both audio and radio frequency being installed potentially anywhere on this fairly massive airplane. 'So it would be a huge job to try to sweep it and make sure it's not compromised.' Trump insists it will benefit US taxpayers by serving as a temporary replacement for Air Force One. But the plane has raised ethical questions about what would be the most expensive gift ever received by a US President, by far. Wise has long warned of the potential for evil world leaders to target aviation to hurt the West. Earlier this month, he warned Russian war monster Vladimir Putin is sky . He pointed towards a string of explosions and cyber attacks Putin has been linked with. This includes a letter bomb that was planted on a plane to Britain, but instead set fire to a DHL warehouse in Birmingham . He rocked the aviation industry in 2014 when he claimed Russia had hijacked missing plane MH370 and flew it to Kazakhstan. Just months later Russia shot down flight MH17, killing all 283 on board during a commercial flight from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur. Russia has always denied responsibility. 10 Wise suggested that the plane could fall victim to a cyber attack Credit: YouTube/Spotti Flight 10 Russian president Vladimir Putin could be looking to target the new jet, according to Wise Credit: YouTube/Spotti Flight
