A SpaceX rocket engine burst into flames during testing in Texas today. Local news cameras caught the massive fireball at the test site. The test may have involved the new Raptor 3 engine, which powers the Starship rocket. SpaceX started shipping these engines to test stands last week for final adjustments before future launches. The Raptor 3 represents the third version of their full-flow staged combustion rocket engines.
Progress on the Starship program has slowed down this quarter, similar to last year. Starship Flight 8 happened in March, about two months after Flight 7. Both flights failed when the upper stage exploded after separating from the Super Heavy booster. SpaceX has not announced when Flight 9 will launch. Coast Guard notices suggest May 28 might be the earliest possible date. The company continues preparing rockets for the next launch as they test engines.
The Federal Aviation Administration still needs to approve Flight 9. They have accepted SpaceX's flight modifications but must finish evaluating what went wrong with Flight 8. SpaceX has shared little information about the recent test flight failures. Experts can only guess that Flight 8 failed for reasons similar to Flight 7. During Flight 7, vibrations in the propulsion system caused a fire that eventually made the ship explode over the Caribbean.
Progress on the Starship program has slowed down this quarter, similar to last year. Starship Flight 8 happened in March, about two months after Flight 7. Both flights failed when the upper stage exploded after separating from the Super Heavy booster. SpaceX has not announced when Flight 9 will launch. Coast Guard notices suggest May 28 might be the earliest possible date. The company continues preparing rockets for the next launch as they test engines.
The Federal Aviation Administration still needs to approve Flight 9. They have accepted SpaceX's flight modifications but must finish evaluating what went wrong with Flight 8. SpaceX has shared little information about the recent test flight failures. Experts can only guess that Flight 8 failed for reasons similar to Flight 7. During Flight 7, vibrations in the propulsion system caused a fire that eventually made the ship explode over the Caribbean.
