SpaceX's Starship SN10 Roars To Life During Engine Test

Featured Image Source: LabPadre via YouTube

SpaceX is performing preflight testing on the Starship SN10 vehicle to prepare it for a high-altitude flight test. Earlier this week, teams conducted a static-fire test of SN10’s Raptor engine trio. On February 23, SpaceX founder Elon Musk shared from South Texas they would swap one of the Raptor engines and install a new one, which suggests they may have encountered an issue with an engine during the test. “Out on launch pad, engine swap underway,” Musk shared via Twitter alongside a Starship photograph.

Out on launch pad, engine swap underway pic.twitter.com/QNXGtL90WN

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 25, 2021

After installing the new Raptor, SpaceX’s Starship SN10 roared to life completing another static-fire test on Thursday, in which engineers briefly ignited the engines as the vehicle remained grounded to the launch pad. The test is performed to assess their performance, video below. This ignition prepares the stainless-steel vehicle for a flight test of approximately 10-kilometers, equivalent to 6-miles, above Boca Chica Beach. The flight test will be the third high-altitude flight SpaceX conducts with a fully-assembled test vehicle. Starship SN8 and Starship SN9 both conducted incredible six-minute-long flight tests on December 9, and February 2, however, both tests ended with a gigantic explosion. Engineers will address the issues encountered during previous launches and attempt to ace the landing during the upcoming Starship SN10 flight. “Success on landing probability is ~60% this time,” Musk said.

StarShip SNX Static 🔥
(Credit: @LabPadre) pic.twitter.com/UAtBy5Br6G

— Austin Barnard🚀 (@austinbarnard45) February 25, 2021

According to Cameron County Boca Chica Beach road closure announcements, if all engine tests went well SpaceX could potentially launch Starship SN10 as soon as next week on Monday, March 1st or Tuesday, March 2nd from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Central Time [all dates are subject to change]. If SpaceX achieves a successful landing it would enable them to move rapidly towards the next phase of the spacecraft’s development. The company is working on an ambitious timeline, the first crewed Starship voyage around the moon is planned for the year 2023. You can watch SpaceX operation Live 24/7 in the video below, courtesy of LabPadre via YouTube. 

 *Author’s Note - Find me on my new Twitter: Evelyn Janeidy Arevalo
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Featured Image Source:  LabPadre via YouTube