The recent explosion of SpaceX’s new Starship rocket shortly after takeoff has been called a “successful failure” by experts.
Instead of viewing the loss of the rocket ship as a setback, the dramatic explosion will help accelerate the development of the vehicle.
Despite the fiery disintegration of Musk’s colossal, next-generation Starship system, experts say the rocket’s loss will benefit SpaceX in the long run.
According to Garrett Reisman, an astronautical engineering professor at the University of Southern California, the explosion is a classical SpaceX successful failure.
Reisman stated that the company’s strategy of embracing failure when the consequences of failure are low is what sets it apart from traditional aerospace companies and even NASA.
No astronauts were aboard for the crewless flight, and the rocket was flown almost entirely over water to avoid possible injuries or property damage from falling debris.
Reisman said SpaceX saves more money in the long run and takes less time to identify and correct engineering flaws by taking more risks in the development process rather than keeping a large team working for years and years trying to get it perfect before even trying it.
Tanya Harrison, a fellow at the University of British Columbia’s Outer Space Institute, added that clearing the launch tower and ascending through a critical point known as maximum aerodynamic pressure were major feats on the first flight of such a large, complex launch system.
The risks of a single flight test were small in comparison to the ambitious gains at stake. The Starship rocket is designed to carry orders of magnitude more cargo and people to and from deep space than any existing spacecraft.
The rocket system will be used for rides to space by commercial satellites, science telescopes, and eventually paying astro-tourists, as well as being crucial to SpaceX’s interplanetary exploration goals.
In conclusion, SpaceX’s willingness to embrace failure when the consequences are low is a key factor in its success. Rather than investing years of effort in attempting to get everything perfect before trying anything, SpaceX is taking more risks in the development process.
This approach saves time and money in the long run, and the recent Starship rocket failure will accelerate the development of the vehicle.
SpaceX’s ambition to carry more cargo and people to and from deep space than any existing spacecraft will not only benefit the company’s interplanetary exploration goals but also its launch business, making it a vital component of the company’s long-term strategy./NewTopNews.com