Page 4 - aruba-today-20230421

A4 U.S. NEWS
Friday 21 april 2023
SpaceX giant rocket explodes minutes after launch from Texas

By MARCIA DUNN Starship easily surpasses
AP Aerospace Writer NASA’s moon rockets past,
SOUTH PADRE ISLAND, Tex- present and future. NASA
as (AP) — SpaceX’s giant successfully launched its
new rocket exploded min- new 322-foot (98-meter)
utes after blasting off on its moon rocket last Novem-
first test flight Thursday and ber on a test flight, sending
crashed into the Gulf of the empty Orion capsule
Mexico. around the moon.
Elon Musk’s company was The stainless steel Starship
aiming to send the biggest rocket is designed to be
and most powerful rocket fully reusable with fast turn-
ever built on a round-the- around, dramatically low-
world trip from the south- ering costs, similar to what
ern tip of Texas, near the SpaceX’s smaller Falcon
Mexican border. The nearly rockets have done soar-
400-foot (120-meter) Star- ing from Cape Canaveral,
ship carried no people or Florida. Nothing was to be
satellites. saved from this test flight,
SpaceX later said multiple with the spacecraft if all
engines on the 33-engine had gone well aiming for a
booster were not firing as watery grave in the Pacific
the rocket ascended, caus- SpaceX’s Starship launches from Starbase in Boca Chica, Texas, Thursday, April 20, 2023. near Hawaii.
Associated Press
ing it to lose altitude and The futuristic spacecraft
begin to tumble. The rocket Musk, in a tweet, called it and dust around the pad. NASA has reserved a Star- flew several miles into the
was intentionally destroyed “an exciting test launch of In Port Isabel, about 10 ship for its next moonwalk- air during testing a few
by its self-destruct system, Starship! Learned a lot for miles (6 kilometers) away, ing team, and rich tourists years ago, landing success-
exploding and plummeting next test launch in a few particles covered cars and are already booking lunar fully only once. But this was
into the water. months.” SpaceX termed it other surfaces. The only flybys. the inaugural launch of the
Instead of a best-case- a “rapid unscheduled dis- other report, said John San- Despite the abbreviated first-stage booster with 33
scenario 1 1/2-hour flight assembly.” doval, assistant to the city flight, congratulations methane-fueled engines.
with the spacecraft on top In the weeks leading up to manager, was a shattered poured in from NASA chief SpaceX has more boost-
peeling away and taking a the flight, Musk gave 50- window at a local busi- Bill Nelson and others in ers and spacecraft lined
lap around the world, the 50 odds that the space- ness. “Yes, it shook, rattled the space industry. Retired up for more test flight; the
whole thing lasted four min- craft would reach orbit. and rolled,” he said of the Canadian astronaut Chris next set is almost ready to
utes. The rocket reached a He stressed that clearing rocket. Hadfield tweeted, “Huge go. Musk wants to fire them
maximum speed of about the launch tower and not The Federal Aviation Ad- accomplishment, huge les- off in quick succession, so
1,300 mph (2,100 kph) and blowing up the pad would ministration said it would sons, onwards to the next he can start using Starships
as high as 24 miles (39 kilo- be a win. oversee the accident in- attempt.” to launch satellites into low-
meters), before going side- “You never know exactly vestigation, noting that no “It fell somewhere between Earth orbit and then put
ways and dropping. what’s going to happen,” injuries or public property a small step and their people on board.
Throngs of spectators said SpaceX livestream damage were reported. hoped-for giant leap, but It was the second launch
watched from South Pa- commentator and engi- The agency also said that it still represents significant attempt. Monday’s try
dre Island, several miles neer John Insprucker. “But until it determines that there progress toward a reusable was scrapped by a frozen
away from the Boca Chica as we promised, excite- is no threat to public safety, super-heavy lift rocket,” booster valve.
Beach launch site, which ment is guaranteed and Starships are grounded. University of Chicago’s Jor- Jason and Lisa Flores drove
was off-limits. As Starship Starship gave us a rather The SpaceX intends to use dan Bimm, a space histo- down from Corpus Christi to
lifted off with a thunderous spectacular end.” Starship to send people rian, said in an email. watch the launch with their
roar, the crowd screamed: At liftoff, the rocket kicked and cargo to the moon At 394 feet and nearly 17 daughter, and noticed
“Go, baby, go!” up huge plumes of sand and, eventually, Mars. million pounds of thrust, something was amiss. q

5th arrest made in Alabama Sweet 16 birthday party shooting

DADEVILLE, Ala. (AP) — A fifth man was arrested Thursday and charged with murder in
connection with a shooting at Sweet 16 birthday party that killed four young people in
Alabama, authorities announced.
Willie George Brown Jr., 19, of Auburn, is charged with four counts of reckless murder,
the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency said.
A total of five defendants are now facing reckless murder charges in connection to the
fatal shooting.
The shooting rampage at the Sweet 16 birthday killed four young people, ranging from
ages 17 to 23 and shocked the small east Alabama city of Dadeville. In addition to the
four slain, 32 others were injured, four of them critically. The party, at a dance studio just
off the town square, was in full swing when gunfire erupted.
Tyreese “Ty Reik” McCullough, 17, of Tuskegee and Travis McCullough, 16, of Tuskegee
were arrested Tuesday. Wilson LaMar Hill Jr., 20, of Auburn, was arrested Wednesday.
A makeshift memorial is created at the scene of the fatal and Johnny Letron Brown, 20, of Tuskegee, was arrested Thursday. The district attorney
shooting at a dance studio in Dadeville, Ala., Wednesday April
19, 2023. said the teens will be tried as adults as required by Alabama law when anyone 16 or
Associated Press older is charged with murder.q