Elon Musk, the CEO of SpaceX and Tesla, is known for his active presence on social media, where he occasionally shares clips of his video game sessions. In a recent clip that caught the attention of many, Musk was seen playing Diablo IV while a SpaceX engineer provided him with updates on the most recent Starship flight test, which was a nail-biting experience.
During the video game session, the engineer revealed some alarming details to Musk. He explained that a misconfigured component on the Starship booster was just one second away from triggering an abort during the flight test. This meant that the rocket could have crashed into the ground, causing a catastrophic failure. Musk’s reaction to this revelation was simply, “Wow. Yikes.”
Moreover, the engineer mentioned another critical issue that occurred during the booster’s descent back to Earth. A cover on the skin of the booster ripped off, exposing some vital equipment that needed to function flawlessly during the landing burn. Fortunately, none of the essential components were damaged, but the incident highlighted the risks involved in such ambitious space missions.
The conversation between Musk and the engineer took place after the fifth Starship integrated test flight, known as IFT-5, which aimed to achieve unprecedented mission objectives. One of the key goals of the test was to return the Super Heavy booster to the launch site and catch it with oversized “chopstick” arms attached to the launch tower. Despite the near-abort situation, SpaceX successfully completed the test, making history in the process.
The engineer emphasized the importance of balancing speed and risk mitigation in preparing for future test flights. Interestingly, the upcoming Starship test flight will not be scheduled by the FAA, marking a departure from the usual regulatory process. SpaceX has often exceeded the FAA’s launch readiness standards, but for IFT-5 and IFT-6, the regulator granted approval for both tests simultaneously.
In conclusion, the behind-the-scenes conversation between Elon Musk and the SpaceX engineer sheds light on the intense challenges and risks involved in space exploration. Despite the close calls and technical glitches, SpaceX continues to push the boundaries of innovation and learn from each test to improve future missions. The dedication and expertise of the SpaceX team are evident in their ability to overcome obstacles and achieve groundbreaking milestones in the pursuit of space exploration.
