For a while there, it looked like there was no stopping SpaceX.

Elon Musk’s space enterprise has been so confident in their endeavours that they even started scouting locations on Mars.

Travelling to Mars, according to Elon, is going to require reusable spacecraft.

NASA has been running a program designed to make this happen for a while now. Altogether, the program, which has at least two reusable planes, has logged 2 865 days in space over the course of five missions. The fifth mission launched on September 7, 2017, aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.

So everything is on track.

Or it was, anyway.

According to Digital Trends, SpaceX’s full-size Mk1 prototype of its next-generation reusable transportation system literally blew its lid during a ground test in Texas on Wednesday.

The commercial space company was conducting a cryogenic pressure test ahead of what was hoped to have been Starship’s first suborbital test flight in the coming months. That plan will now be reviewed.

Footage of the explosion was captured by a webcam streaming from South Padre Island a short distance away:

RIP Starship Mk1. @LabPadre stream:https://t.co/CwiHPUf7D3 pic.twitter.com/SckLfdIhw3

— Chris B – NSF (@NASASpaceflight) November 20, 2019

The aftermath below:

Elon reckons that they should scrap the current Starship and start work on a more advanced design.

Meanwhile, in Coquimbo, Chile, astronomers are having a hard time dealing with the roughly 120 satellites that SpaceX has launched into orbit since May.

Wow!! I am in shock!! The huge amount of Starlink satellites crossed our skies tonight at @cerrotololo. Our DECam exposure was heavily affected by 19 of them! The train of Starlink satellites lasted for over 5 minutes!! Rather depressing… This is not cool! pic.twitter.com/gK0ekbpLJe

— Clarae Martínez-Vázquez (@89Marvaz) November 18, 2019

CNN reports that the satellites were launched as part of a project to boost internet connection on the ground.

And many, many more satellites could join those already in orbit. SpaceX has permission from regulators to launch more than 10,000 satellites, and recently requested adding 30,000 more.

This plan has been met with a lot of anger from scientists who are concerned that the satellites could interfere with readings and interfere with their work.

A SpaceX spokesperson says that it is speaking with leading astronomy groups to find ways that the satellites won’t disrupt their work. On a more tactical level, it’s also making the base color of Starlink satellites black, which it hopes will help. If it needs to, SpaceX says it can adjust some of the satellites’ orbits, too.

So they’re listening.

They’re also having a terrible week, so far.

[sources:digitaltrends&cnn]