SpaceX Starship upper stage explodes during ramp-up to expected engine test firing

[jmowreader]

29. Stop right there

There are three points I'd like to make.

Point 1: SpaceX seems to operate under the assumption no one's ever built a rocket before. They're making mistakes that were solved in the 1950s.

Point 2: The standard SpaceX development system is "blow up three rockets and examine the shrapnel." This is blown-up Starship number ten.

Point 3: This explosion didn't even have the common courtesy to wait until they launched the rocket to happen. This happened on a test stand before the test firing.

At some point in time one of two things needs to happen: SpaceX figures out how to make this rocket work like Right Now, or the FAA orders Elon's passion project to end because at this point it's hazardous to the planet.

I have heard that the problem they're having is related to the methane fuel this rocket uses. ULA's new Vulcan Centaur rocket is fueled with methane; they have launched two and both worked fine. The advantage ULA has is the Vulcan first stage is an evolution of the extremely reliable Atlas V.