SpaceX Starship Setback Exposes Energy Gaps in $1.8 Trillion Space Race

SpaceX’s Starship prototype exploded over the Indian Ocean on Thursday during its fourth “hotfire” engine test, dramatically underscoring the immense energy stakes of Elon Musk’s space aspirations. The Raptor engines rely on cryogenic methane and liquid oxygen, burning through an estimated 1,000 to 1,200 tonnes of propellant per launch. This fuels more than just rockets. It powers a burgeoning $1.8 trillion space economy forecast by 2035, up from $630?billion in 2023. That explosion in valuation is driven not merely by launches,…