--- title: "Starship Exploding in the Fog Looks Amazing in Slow Motion" description: "On March 30 SpaceX's Starship SN11 prototype blew up in a massive cloud of orange light. Now, we get to rewatch the explosion in slow motion." date: "2021-04-06" modified: "2021-04-06" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/starship-exploding-fog-looks-amazing-slow-motion" categories: - "Space" - "SpaceX" - "Starship" tags: - "elon musk" - "SpaceX" - "Starship" - "the digest" --- # Starship Exploding in the Fog Looks Amazing in Slow Motion ![On March 30 SpaceX's Starship SN11 prototype blew up in a massive cloud of orange light. Now, we get to rewatch the explosion in slow motion.]() *\Image: Cosmic Perspective\* ## Now in Slow Motion On March 30, SpaceX's [Starship]() SN11 prototype [blew up in a massive cloud of orange light]() — a side effect of the space company having launched the full-scale spacecraft inside a thick layer of dense fog. Livestreams of the event didn't catch much of the explosion, except for [massive pieces of debris]() raining down from the skies, wreaking havoc with the remotely controlled cameras set up by onlookers. Now, an epic short uploaded to YouTube by channel Cosmic Perspective give us the best views to date of SN11's demise: https://youtu.be/l4eawtvznbc The video, accompanied by amazing audio picked up by a special four-way omni-directional microphone, shows massive pieces of the rocket tumbling down, captured in luxurious slow motion. The detailed, slowed down footage shows individual sprays of dirt being kicked up by the rain of metal shrapnel. ## Next Steps So what caused it to blow up? This video provides no new clues, but SpaceX CEO Elon Musk [later suggested]() that SN11 exploded due to a methane leak prior to reignition. But SN15, the next Starship prototype to make a flight attempt, is right around the corner, featuring "hundreds of design improvements across structures, avionics, software and engine," according to Musk. While it's fun watching a massive explosion unfold in slow motion, perhaps it's time we get to watch a prototype land successfully. In the end, SpaceX still wants Starship to go orbital by the end of the year — and flight testing for the spacecraft's equally massive Super Heavy booster hasn't even begun yet. **READ MORE:** [Starship SN11 Fog Explosion in Slow Motion Is Like Watching the World End]() \[*Autoevolution*\] **More on Starship:** *[Elon Musk Reveals Why Last Starship Prototype Exploded Before Landing]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()