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During SpaceX’s preparations for the fourth Starship flight at its facilities in Boca- Chica, Texas, at SpaceX's McGregor rocket engine test facility, also in Texas, a Starship Raptor engine appears to have burned out.
Local media write about a powerful explosion during testing; flames engulfed the tower. So far there have been no reports of an accident from SpaceX. NASASpaceflight TV channel showed the incident live.
The test began a little after 16:12 local time and appeared to be proceeding normally. When the smoke cleared 14 seconds after ignition, the engine shut down and the test appeared to be over. However, immediately after this, fire began to emerge from the lower part of the platform, where the rocket engine nozzle emits flames. During testing, flames consistent with Raptor were observed in this area. The new flames were orange and moving upward before the explosion engulfed the entire structure. Despite the incident, Elon Musk announced that the fourth flight of Starship will take place in 10 days.
Flight 4 in about 10 days https://t.co/1Fb0ProHjG
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 24, 2024
Unlike most rocket companies, which produce a fixed number of engines designed for specific future rockets, SpaceX is a rich company. Before a rocket engine is installed on a Falcon 9, Starship Super Heavy or Starship, it undergoes qualification testing at SpaceX's McGregor facilities. Types of rocket engines can be distinguished by their exhaust. While the Falcon Heavy's Merlin exhaust is orange, the Raptor's exhaust is cleaner and has a blue tint. The Raptor engines are a completely new design created specifically for Starship, using methane as fuel.
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SpaceX frequently upgrades Raptor engines while they await installation on Starship boosters. Currently, Raptor 2 engines are used. They have greater thrust and a less complex design. Raptor is designed to use Mars resources, particularly liquid methane, as fuel. It is significantly more powerful than the Falcon 9 and Merlin engines.
Sources: Wccftech, Alpha Centauri
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