SpaceX - Starship (unofficial) patch.
March 31, 2021
Starship SN11 on the launch-pad At Boca Chica
As early as Tuesday, March 30, the SpaceX team will attempt a high-altitude flight test of Starship serial number 11 (SN11) – our fourth high-altitude flight test of a Starship prototype from Starbase in Texas. Similar to previous high-altitude flight tests of Starship, SN11 will be powered through ascent by three Raptor engines, each shutting down in sequence prior to the vehicle reaching apogee – approximately 10 km in altitude. SN11 will perform a propellant transition to the internal header tanks, which hold landing propellant, before reorienting itself for reentry and a controlled aerodynamic descent.
The Starship prototype will descend under active aerodynamic control, accomplished by independent movement of two forward and two aft flaps on the vehicle. All four flaps are actuated by an onboard flight computer to control Starship’s attitude during flight and enable precise landing at the intended location. SN11’s Raptor engines will then reignite as the vehicle attempts a landing flip maneuver immediately before touching down on the landing pad adjacent to the launch mount.
Starship | SN11 | High-Altitude Flight Test
A controlled aerodynamic descent with body flaps and vertical landing capability, combined with in-space refilling, are critical to landing Starship at destinations across the solar system where prepared surfaces or runways do not exist, and returning to Earth. This capability will enable a fully reusable transportation system designed to carry both crew and cargo on long-duration, interplanetary flights and help humanity return to the Moon, and travel to Mars and beyond.
At 5 minutes and 48 seconds into the flight, ground crews began reigniting the Raptor engines to reorient the spacecraft. However, the engine compartment camera suddenly stopped broadcasting a second later. By 8:06:06 A.M. local time, the ground cameras recorded the unmistakable sound of an explosion. For close to a minute after, debris was spotted and heard falling around the landing pad.
Starship Prototype SN11 Explodes in mid-air
Some of the debris even landed close to where the ground cameras were set up, but no injuries were reported. Based on the final seconds of footage captured by the SpaceX engine compartment camera, it was clear at least Raptor engine managed to reignite. However, the prototype exploded before it had a chance to touch down, exploding in midair and throwing debris around the facility.
The ground teams immediately began poring over the data to determine the cause. Elon Musk took to Twitter shortly after the explosion to share their preliminary findings:
“Looks like engine 2 had issues on ascent & didn’t reach operating chamber pressure during landing burn, but, in theory, it wasn’t needed. Something significant happened shortly after landing burn start. Should know what it was once we can examine the bits later today.”
SpaceX: https://www.spacex.com/
Images, Video, Text, Credits: SpaceX/Universe Today/RadarScopePro/Orbiter.ch Aerospace.
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