Ooopsie

[Hans Tucker]

SpaceX rocket explodes after 'hop' test

https://youtu.be/aHG1D4er4oo

Not quite a success ... but then not quite a failure.

[mura_gadi]

Never run out of fuel while trying to land a large spacecraft at speed...

[Startrek]

It may sound a bit strange , but today’s flight was a successful failure as they captured so much useful data during those 6 minutes
I would suspect the next test flight will be even more ambitious
An amazing space vehicle which will hopefully take humankind to Mars within the next decade !!

[Xeteth]

This test was a brilliant success. Seeing the raptor engine control, long duration burn, gimbal, flap control (jeez those must've had some serious torque behind them!), belly flop maneuver.... An awesome sight to see. Can't wait to see SN9 fly!

[mldee]

Great achievement. Really depresses me to see so many, including the mainstream media, only focus on the hard-landing fireball and barely mention the 6 1/2 minutes of brilliant rocket and aerodynamic test flight with full return to base, never before done by any major space organisation, much less on the first try, with a stainless steel vehicle built and launched from the sand dunes of West Texas, and with full public scrutiny.
Heck, the damn thing even landed as it was supposed to, on the prepared landing pad, just had a fuel problem that strangled the engines at the last moment.

The next test version is already completed and will be launched soon.

Gives you some faith in (some of) humanity's future.

[pmrid]

I think I read a quote from Musk during the week to the effect that the landing/recovcery/reuse of the SN8 vehicle would be a bonus if it occurred but he acknowledged it was fraught with issues that may make it a bit iffy. Funny how the media (and most of the great unwashed) are seeing it as a crash and therefore a failure. It was anything but that. They just don't seem to have the brains to look behind the obvious.

Peter

[Wilso]

Definitely a successful first and last flight for the Sn8 👍
All the data they collected will help enormously for the Sn9 which is already fully stacked. Scott Manley has good clip showing/explaining the details of your interested.
https://youtu.be/egHxiX40eJY

[Zuts]

That video is excellent, what an exciting time for rockets, this is what I was hoping was going to happen after the moon landings, damn shame it was delayed 50 years.

if it wasn't, by now, the moon and Mars would probably be supporting an Antarctica size population.

[TommyJ]

Currently, there is no permanent population in Antarctica; several dozen scientific stations are located here, where, depending on the season, about 4000 people live.
Not that much. I understand what you mean, but we are still very far from a permanent base on the Moon or colonization of Mars. Of course, there will be daredevils who will agree to an experimental migration, but now successful migrations to Mars are more a fantasy of enthusiastic people than reality.