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Billionaire Rockets Explode: Epic Fails Go Viral
28 Jul
Summary
- Billionaire rocket launches have become viral online spectacles.
- Failed SpaceX and Blue Origin tests are widely mocked on social media.
- Space exploration's high cost contrasts with public amusement at failures.
Online videos of billionaire-led rocket launch failures have become a popular source of mockery and amusement. These incidents, reminiscent of fictional portrayals like Roman Roy's failed launch in "Succession," involve spectacular explosions during test flights.
Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin experienced a significant explosion on May 28 during a New Glenn rocket test, a sight quickly shared online with reactions ranging from amazement at the scale of the explosion to disgust and jokes. This mirrors earlier failures, such as SpaceX's attempts to reach orbit in the mid-aughts, which nonetheless secured substantial NASA contracts for private sector involvement.
Elon Musk's SpaceX has also seen multiple Starships explode during test flights, and a Falcon 9 rocket experienced a "really fast fire" about a decade ago. While historically, rocket failures were national traumas, like the Challenger disaster, current failures involve uncrewed missions. The absence of fatalities makes these events uncomplicated to mock, with videos quickly becoming viral punchlines rather than national concerns.
