SpaceX’s Starship Raptor rocket engine explodes during testing

As SpaceX was preparing for the fourth Starship flight at its facilities in Boca Chica, Texas, a Starship Raptor engine appears to have burned up at SpaceX’s rocket engine test site in McGregor, also in Texas.

Local media report a powerful explosion during the test, with flames engulfing the tower. So far, there have been no reports of an accident from SpaceX. TV channel NASASpaceflight broadcast the incident live.

The test began a little after 4:12 p.m. local time and seemed to be going well. When the smoke cleared 14 seconds after ignition, the engine shut down and the test seemed to be over. However, immediately afterwards, fire began to emanate from the bottom of the pad, where the rocket engine nozzle emits flames. During the test, flames characteristic of the Raptor were observed in this area. The new flame was orange and moved upward before the explosion engulfed the entire structure.

Unlike most rocket companies, which produce a fixed number of engines for specific rockets of the future, 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. Rocket engine types can be distinguished by their exhaust. While the Merlin exhaust for the Falcon Heavy is orange, the Raptor exhaust is cleaner and has a blue tint. The Raptor engines are a completely new design created specifically for Starship and use methane as fuel.

SpaceX frequently upgrades Raptor engines while they are waiting to be installed on the Starship accelerator. Raptor 2 engines are currently in use. They have more thrust and a less complex design. The Raptor is designed to use Mars resources, in particular liquid methane, as fuel. It is much more powerful than the Falcon 9 and Merlin engines.

Sources: Wccftech, Alpha Centauri