Ex-astronaut: Starship launch a ‘step forward’ despite crash
- SpaceX's Starship rocket blew up minutes after launch Thursday
- The vehicle will eventually be used for missions to the moon
- A former astronaut says the launch achieved objectives despite the explosions
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(NewsNation) — While it may have seemed like the launch of the largest rocket ever made was a failure Thursday, a former astronaut says not so much.
Starship, built by Elon Musk-owned company SpaceX, exploded minutes after it lifted off the launch pad in southern Texas. The best case scenario called for the nearly 400-foot rocket to complete a 1 1/2-hour flight and complete a lap around the world.
“I think was definitely a step forward and a good thing, believe it or not, even though it didn’t look that way,” former astronaut Mike Massimino said of the launch.
Massimino became an astronaut in 1996 and logged more than 23 days in space. His missions included STS-109 in 2002 and STS-125 in 2009.
Prior to the Starship launch, Musk had given the rocket a 50-50 chance of reaching orbit. He said clearing the tower and not blowing up on the launch pad would be a win.
It did exactly that.
“The biggest rocket ever got off the ground,” Massimino said. “It withstood the maximum dynamic pressure … and that’s the most force it will ever have to live through, and it made it through that. Those are two very important objectives.”
You can watch his interview on “Elizabeth Vargas Reports” in the player above.
