SpaceX Staff Tell Elon Musk Starship Almost Crashed In Last Launch

More details: See here

SpaceX launched its  fifth-ever test flight from South Texas earlier this month, impressing viewers when the rocket's first stage booster returned back to the launch pad with the help of mechanical arms known as ⁘chopsticks.⁘ But behind the scenes, SpaceX staff worried the rocket might crash. 

In a video Elon Musk posted to X Friday of him playing a video game, the SpaceX CEO is being briefed by staff about the potential fallout of a misconfiguration, Reuters space reporter Joey Roulette first spotted .

⁘I want to be really upfront about scary sh-t that happened,⁘ an unidentified staff member can be heard saying. ⁘We had a misconfigured stem gas support that didn't have quite the right ramp up time for bringing up stem pressure, and we were one second away from that tripping and telling the rocket to abort and try to crash into the ground next to the tower.⁘ 

SpaceX ultimately achieved its goals for the launch, though the briefing also drew Musk's attention to a cover ripping off the booster, which staff suggested could have damaged critical equipment. But the video provides an unusual behind-the-scenes look at how close the launch was to a haphazard end and causing additional alarm to nearby residents . 

Even though SpaceX pulled off the launch as intended, the South Texas Environmental Justice Network said the community was ⁘distraught by the negative impacts of the launch⁘ and frustrated with the ⁘lack of concern for public safety and health.⁘

Originally, Starship's fifth flight was expected to be delayed until November so that an environmental analysis could be completed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. But SpaceX ultimately received a launch license from the Federal Aviation Administration and held the test Oct. 13. 

Now, SpaceX is busy preparing for its sixth Starship launch and conducting tests on its ⁘Super Heavy⁘ booster.