SpaceX announced the successful completion of the second test of the prototype Starhopper rocket, which took off to a height of 500 feet (152 m), then flew about 100 m to the side and made a controlled landing in the center of the launch pad.
The tests took place on Tuesday evening at 18:00 CT (Wednesday, 2:00 Moscow time). They were originally scheduled to be held on Monday, but at the last moment due to a malfunction related to the ignition system of the Raptor engine.
Police have advised residents of Boca Chica, Texas, near the SpaceX launch pad, to stay outside during testing and take their pets outside due to the risk of injury from blast-shattered glass windows.
The prototype rocket, which looks more like a stainless steel water tower, is designed to test the launch system for the Starship interplanetary spacecraft, which consists of a super-heavy launch vehicle with 35 next-generation Raptor engines and the capsule itself with 7 Raptor engines.
From a technical standpoint, the test was impressive, demonstrating the thrust and vector control of the new Raptor engine. This was the first time that a prototype with a large rocket engine powered by liquid methane and oxygen made a successful, long enough flight.
However, this test may also have greater political implications. SpaceX aims to demonstrate that Starship is a viable vehicle for NASA missions and that it could be used to send astronauts to the Moon as well as interplanetary missions.
Starship is expected to be used to send astronauts to the moon, and in the future - to deliver people and cargo from Earth's orbit to other planets. βOne day Starship will land on the rusty sands of Mars,β SpaceX CEO Elon Musk tweeted after todayβs test.
Starhopper made a successful 20m jump last month. The first commercial launches using the Starship are slated for 2021.
If Musk's plans are implemented, then the first landing of Starship on the surface of Mars, according to the planned schedule, can be made as early as the mid-2020s.
As for the Starhopper prototype, it will later serve as a vertical test bed for the next generation of Raptor engines. SpaceX teams in Boca Chica and Cape Canaveral, Florida are already working on two next-generation Starship prototypes, each powered by three next-generation Raptor engines.
Source: 3dnews.ru