SpaceX’s check automobile, a small-scale demonstration craft for some Starship elements, caught hearth after what seems to be a gasoline leak or dump following an in any other case profitable static hearth check final evening. It’s not clear why the craft out of the blue burst into flames, or whether or not it was significantly and even superficially broken.
The “Starhopper,” as SpaceX has been calling it, is a a lot smaller-scale model of the Starship craft the corporate has in improvement, meant to check them out in a live-fire atmosphere and even carry out quick flights known as hops — therefore the identify. It’s being assembled and operated at SpaceX’s amenities in Boca Chica, Texas.
The huge shiny craft appears a bit like a toy, however it’s a functioning rocket and it was deliberate that this week it could do an untethered hovering flight at some 20 meters, a step above the quick tethered flights it has already achieved. But final evening’s check firing of the engines appears to have produced an anomaly.
As captured by a number of within the SpaceX neighborhood, the static hearth began and stopped, however flames continued to burn across the base of the engines. A stream of liquid (very seemingly water) is directed towards it, at which level the entire rocket seems to ignite in a formidable fireball — then does it once more just a few seconds later. You can see the entire course of (in 4K no much less) in Everyday Astronaut’s video:
It’s unclear at this level what the reason for the fireball was, and whether or not it was in any half intentional. What’s sure is that this isn’t how earlier check fires have gone, and usually talking you don’t need your rocket to be on hearth, even whether it is extremely heat-resistant.
Some have speculated that there was a gasoline dump following the exams that produced lighter-than-air vapors, which rose and surrounded the rocket. The water jet might have induced the small hearth to ignite the vapor, producing the fireball. I’ve requested SpaceX for any info they’ll share.
Images taken the following day don’t present a molten pile of slag, and actually the automobile doesn’t look any worse for put on on the skin. But whereas that’s testomony to the check automobile’s sturdiness and stainless-steel pores and skin, it doesn’t imply there’s nothing unsuitable inside.
Anything sudden occurring throughout a check like that is cause to abort and reassess, so it gained’t be a shock if we hear that Starhopper exams have been indefinitely delayed. LabPadre, who took one other video of the occasion, famous on Twitter that the native authorities informed him SpaceX withdrew all highway and seaside closures, so testing is seemingly off for now.
I’ll replace this story if and when SpaceX offers additional info on the occasion.
