SpaceX’s first high-altitude Starship prototype just “passed cryo proof” testing

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk states the very first high-altitude Starship prototype – known as SN8 – only “passed cryo proof” analyzing in South Texas, potentially setting the ship to get a ~15 kilometers (9.5 mile) flight test in the not too distant future.

Meanwhile, the NASA astronaut Bob Hines recently overflew SpaceX’s Boca Chica, Texas Starship factory with different compatriots, offering an exceptional aerial view of this firm ’s bustling centers in the midst of Starship SN8’s crucial cryo proof test campaign.

Hines managed to grab the Moon alongside among those T-38 coach jets NASA astronauts routinely use for travel and training, serving as a reminder which SpaceX won $135 million to create a Lunar Starship which may someday return humans to Earth’s only company. Likely with or without NASA’s involvement, the Starship prototype creation and test app SpaceX is profound in the midst of will directly determine if and when the company visits – and lands around – the Moon and Mars.

This week, I had the opportunity fly within the @spacex facility in Boca Chica…where they’re building #Starship as a portion of @nasa’s no attempt to return to the moon. Our common objective made an appearance for a terrific photo op in pic #3! To the Moon! pic.twitter.com/lzOUrGpp8f

— Bob “Farmer” Hines (@Astro_FarmerBob) October 8, 2020

A breathtaking aerial perspective of SpaceX’s Boca Chica, Texas Starship factory, recorded by one of those NASA astronauts that may one day ride Starship into the Moon. (Bob Hines – NASA)

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Over the previous 3 days, SpaceX has slowly place Starship SN8 – the very first prototype meant for high-altitude flight testing – through its paces, starting with a seemingly aborted “cryo proof” test on October 5/6. During the very first attempt, SpaceX seemed to pressurize the rocket tank segment with cold nitrogen gas and maybe a little volume of liquid nitrogen prior to reopening the highway. Starship SN8 also sparked its substantial aft flaps underneath its own electricity for the very first time on October 4th and SpaceX has performed a few more actuation tests in the days since.

SpaceX just moved among Starship's fins beneath electricity for the very first time. Source: @LabPadre Live Stream: https://t.co/VJYDhUC8Qq pic.twitter.com/RdhYBS7rRr

— Brandon Filer (@HughesMDflyer4) October 4, 2020

24 hours later, SpaceX attempted again, now successfully loading Starship SN8’s liquid oxygen and methane propellant tanks using maybe a thousand metric tons (2.2 million pounds) of liquid oxygen – used to simulate the exact ultra-cold temperatures of cryogenic propellant without the chance of a catastrophic fire or explosion. After cryo loading, SpaceX reportedly attempted to pressurize the rocket’s tanks for their limits but the test was stopped somewhat brief when Starship SN8 sprung “a little leak…near the engine mounts” after hitting pressures of 7 bar (~100 psi).

Cryo pressure test succeeded, but a little leak opened up near the engine mounts, possibly due to differential shrinking

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 7, 2020

7 bar absolute, that is fine for flight. This is a proof test, as opposed to a burst exam. We’ll hopefully fix the leak today & retest.

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 7, 2020

Precisely as Musk called, SpaceX seemingly managed to fix the minor flow in under 24 hours and began the next round Starship SN8 cryo evidence testing late on October 7th. Once again, the rocket was completely filled with liquid nitrogen and invested some 2-3 hours beneath cryogenic pressure as SpaceX probably stress the push structure (“push puck”) by mimicking the push of Raptor engines using hydraulic rams. Nothing out of the ordinary happened and Musk has yet to comment on the test, suggesting that things went mostly as planned.

Intriguingly, SpaceX then geared up for a fourth night of cryogenic testing on October 8/9. It’s not completely surprising that the company would want to test the very first Starship built primarily using a brand new steel metal as completely as possible. In case SN8’s fourth night of studying produces satisfactory results and SpaceX is not as worried about the flow found during the second round of testing, the organization could be ready to install three engines and try the very first multi-Raptor static flame test .

Update: SpaceX CEO Elon Musk states that Starship SN8 “passed cryo proof” testing, probably setting up the rocket for the very first triple-Raptor static flame test ever attempted. If SN8 moves static fire testing, it will most probably be outfitted with a nosecone and forwards flaps and try a different three-engine static flame with smaller ‘header’ propellant tanks, ultimately preparing it to encourage the very first high-altitude flight test of a Starship prototype if all goes according to plan.

Passed cryo proof

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 9, 2020

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