The V-3 version of the“Starship” super-heavy rocket, which is directly related to the progress of the US manned moon landing program, relayed trouble messages. The rocket’s first-stage booster suffered an abrupt rupture during a test at a Texas starship base Monday, “Potentially complicating the company’s efforts to demonstrate to NASA the rocket’s ability to land on the Moon,” Reuters reported Wednesday.
Reported that the U. S. Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) will be upgraded after the first stage of this super-heavy rocket booster stand on the test bench, and said it will test the redesigned fuel system and structural strength. However, before the official start of testing, witnesses found that the side of the booster suddenly twisted and spewed a lot of gas, indicating that its shell seriously ruptured. SpaceX later acknowledged in a statement that it had encountered“Gas system stress test anomalies” and that no one was injured. The company said the team needed time to investigate the cause of the accident.
SpaceX is currently under pressure from NASA because of delays in the development of its starship rocket. According to NASA’s latest plans, the Artemis 3 mission, which would put a man on the moon, would be 2027. But the“Starship” rocket, which played a key role in the mission, suffered major setbacks in its development. The US media recently revealed that even if“Everything goes well”, a lunar lander based on the starship for the Artemis manned mission to the Moon is also a year behind schedule, 2028 in September.
SpaceX had planned for the V3 version of the starship to make its first flight in February, but the latest booster accident could 2026 that goal. Reuters said it was unclear whether the company could immediately find another booster to resume testing, or how long the accident would delay the starship program.
Pang Zhihao, China’s chief science communication expert on space exploration technology, told the Global Times Monday that since 2025, the development of the“Starship” has repeatedly suffered setbacks, the first three of the V-2 version’s five flight tests were marred by complex and deadly explosions, severely slowing its development until August, when it achieved its first success. As planned, SpaceX will build a newer, more powerful version of Starship V3 after the final test of the V2 version in October, it will be used to carry out manned missions to the Moon when the technology is ready, but many of the new technologies it uses need to be tested. What was accidentally damaged this time was the first super-heavy booster of the starship V 3 version used to verify the new scheme, and it is currently the only complete V 3 booster. The damage disrupted the planned static ignition and orbital test flights, and the team had to collect and analyze data and troubleshoot problems with the tank’s reinforcement and pressure control.
Pang said there was a high probability that the demonstration of key orbital refueling technologies would be delayed until after the 2027, forcing adjustments to the original schedule for manned lunar landings.