A prototype of the SpaceX spacecraft explodes during launch tests; Video

One of the prototypes of the SpaceX spacecraft suffered a large explosion this Friday, during a test launch in Boca Chica, Texas.

The device, called SN4, is not the one that Elon Musk’s company will seek to send into space with two NASA astronauts on board (delayed Wednesday due to bad weather), but one that is being developed in the future with the aim of transporting passengers and cargo to the Moon and Mars.

There are no reports of victims after the accident since the take-off area is evacuated before each test. The explosion occurred two minutes after a test was performed on one of the engines at the base of the aircraft.

The engine, called the Raptor, ran well for a few seconds and shut down. But there was extensive ventilation at the base of the apparatus and that may have caused the accident.

This is the fourth test that fails for the Starship and the second for the Raptor engine, so Musk will have to work hard to achieve his goal of getting him to the red planet.

The launch of this Saturday

With a significant deployment and attention focused on Cape Canaveral, Florida, this Saturday will be the historic space launch of NASA and SpaceX, which was suspended on Wednesday due to bad weather conditions.

The objective is to take astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley to the International Space Station, and it will take place at 4:22 p.m. in our country from platform 39A of the Kennedy Space Center.

It will be the first time in nine years that a manned spacecraft has taken off from the US Space Activity Center.

The mission, called Demo-2, will certify the validity of Musk’s company space flight launch systems in Earth orbit. This will involve the transfer of the astronauts to the International Space Station, where they will spend six to 16 weeks conducting a series of investigations and analyzing the operation of the spacecraft.