Henry Min
AP Bio/Current Event 12
2/3/21
Chang, Kenneth. “SpaceX's Prototype Mars Rocket Crashes in Test Flight.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 2 Feb. 2021, www.nytimes.com/2021/02/02/science/spacex-starship-launch.html.
In the article, “SpaceX’s Prototype Mars Rocket Crashes in Test Flight”, author Kenneth Chang talks about how SpaceX's prototype mars rocket crashed during a test flight. Throughout the article, Mr. Chang does a great job of outlining the events that took place. On Tuesday, a test flight of SpaceX’s Starship, a huge next-generation spacecraft that Elon Musk, the founder and chief executive of the private rocket company, dreams of one day sending to Mars, came to an explosive end. That brief flight, to an altitude of about six miles and then back to a landing pad, appeared to again demonstrate how the mammoth rocket would tip over on its side as it descended in a controlled belly flop back toward a landing. But when the prototype fired its engines to right itself back to a vertical orientation, it appeared that one engine did not properly ignite, and Starship hit the ground at an angle, disintegrating in a fireball, leaving a cloud of smoke rising over the test site, which is in Boca Chica, Tex, near Brownsville. On Tuesday evening, the Federal Aviation Administration, which regulates rocket launches, announced that it will oversee an investigation of why the prototype crashed. Last week, SpaceX and government regulators seemed to be in a strange standoff. SpaceX had filled the propellant tanks of this prototype of Starship — its ninth one — and looked ready to launch. But then the rocket stayed on the ground when no approval from the F.A.A. arrived. Late on Monday, the F.A.A. gave permission for Tuesday’s launch, but then revealed that the December launch had occurred without the agency’s approval. SpaceX had requested a waiver to conduct that flight even though it had not shown that a pressure wave that could be generated by an explosion during the test would not pose a danger to the public. The F.A.A. denied the request. SpaceX defied the ruling and launched anyway. Even if Starship had landed perfectly, launching it without approval was a violation of the company’s license. SpaceX was also told to halt testing that could endanger the public until the company made changes that satisfied the agency. The F.A.A. said the resulting changes improved safety and were incorporated into Tuesday’s launch.
Overall, the article does a great job of giving an objective view of what happened before and after the failed test flight. I was able to fully comprehend the problems that were occurring between Elon Musk and SpaceX, and how certain rules were needed to be broken. I believe that this is relevant in today's age as traveling to other planets and possibly inhabiting them is something that humans have theorized and thought about for ages.
Nate Kim
ReplyDeleteAP Bio, Mr. Ippolito
2/6/21
Current Event 13
Min, Henry. “SpaceX's Prototype Mars Rocket Crashes in Test Flight.” Blogspot.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 6 Feb. 2021.
https://bronxvilleapbiology.blogspot.com/2021/02/henry-min-ap-biocurrent-event-12-2321.html
Chang, Kenneth. “SpaceX's Prototype Mars Rocket Crashes in Test Flight.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 2 Feb. 2021, www.nytimes.com/2021/02/02/science/spacex-starship-launch.html.
Henry’s analysis of “SpaceX's Prototype Mars Rocket Crashes in Test Flight” is a perfect example of analysis that gives the reader a full understanding of the article being analyzed. Henry does a great job of integrating her own commentary with the facts from the article. The analysis has great flow where Henry seamlessly integrates facts and information with the summary of the article. I also liked that he gave a possible use for the information from the article. His explanation and perspective of the situation between SpaceX and the Federal Aviation Administration is excellent, which ultimately bestows upon the reader a cohesive and comprehensive understanding of this unexpected standoff.
Although I think Henry’s review was top-notch, I believe there are some areas for improvement. Henry uses sophisticated vocabulary that could make his writing a little hard to understand for readers that are not well-versed in the field of biology or science in general. Terms such as “pressure wave” are not known by the general public for the most part. This is easily remedied by just defining more terms or using simpler language. I also request that Henry, in the future, gives us his opinions on the situation in a more isolated manner. Henry only gives a brief mentioning of his own thoughts as well as societal implications at the end of the second paragraph. I would have preferred this segment of his review to be blown out a bit more, and expanded upon.
Overall, Henry’s review of this situation has been very helpful for me. I was not aware that SpaceX and the FAA were struggling against each other. I did see that the rocket crashed recently, but I had no idea that there was any turmoil behind the scenes. I doubt I would have learned about this situation from another news outlet, so thanks to Henry for raising awareness. The implications of this review are concerning. SpaceX is largely regarded as the future of space aviation. If the U.S. government is holding them back, I wonder if they may move to another country, or hinder space exploration in the future.