SpaceX Super Heavy booster had five engines out and powerful launch damaged the pad

 

SpaceX - Starship Super Heavy Test Flight patch.

April 21, 2023

Image above: SpaceX Super Heavy booster had five engines out. Image Credits: SpaceX/Screen capture: Orbiter.ch Aerospace.

The SpaceX Super Heavy booster had five engines out as it flew. 4 engines were mostly on one side and this led to an imbalance which became critical during the flip move for stage separation.

They were likely trying various thrust vectoring and other adjustments. This was a huge success. Looks like went up to about Mach 3.

Image above: Super Heavy Booster 7 (B7) inflicted severe damage on the Orbital Launch Mount (OLM), the Booster Quick Disconnect (BQD) housing, and launched shrapnel as far away as the launch pad west parking lot. Image Credits: Starbase Watcher on Twitter/LabPadre.

The power of the launch did wreck the concrete below the rocket. SpaceX will need to fix and improve the pad, but they will likely be read to fly again by July, 2023. Footage taken near the launch tower show surprising amounts of debris from the first test flight of Starship.

Starship Super Heavy first launch

Lifting off with record-breaking thrust, SpaceX’s Starship rocket was expected to produce an impressive launch plume and possibly cause damage to the launch pad. Early footage from the scene in Boca Chica, Texas, suggests the surrounding area did indeed take some damage—including an unfortunate minivan that got clobbered by a large rock.

Video above: Footage taken from a LabPadre camera shows a minivan getting owned by debris spewing out from the launch site. Video Credits: Lab Padre/Gizmodo.

The dramatic footage comes from LabPadre’s VR cam, which the popular YouTube channel placed uncomfortably close to the 469-foot-tall (142-meter) launch and catch tower. Cameras this close to the launch tower are controlled remotely, as everyone must leave the area prior to launch for safety reasons. If anyone doubted this rule before, these new videos should smarten them up.

Related article:

SpaceX - Starship Super Heavy first launch, explodes in 'rapid unscheduled disassembly'
https://orbiterchspacenews.blogspot.com/2023/04/spacex-starship-super-heavy-first.html

Related links:

SpaceX: https://www.spacex.com/

SpaceX Starship: https://www.spacex.com/vehicles/starship/

Images (mentioned), Videos, Text, Credits: SpaceX/SciNews/Starbase Watcher/Lab Padre/Orbiter.ch Aerospace/Roland Berga.

Greetings, Orbiter.ch