The test of the Super Heavy Booster was partially successful. 33 Raptor 2 engines were involved in the test but 4 of the engines shutting down prematurely. Additionally the test did not run for the anticipated 5 seconds.
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On the plus side, the rocket—dubbed Booster 9, as it is the ninth to be built as part of SpaceX’s iterative design methodology—survived the test and appeared to be in good shape afterward.
Even so, Sunday’s testing marked a step forward for SpaceX, bringing the company closer to a second launch of its Starship vehicle.
It is not known whether SpaceX plans to perform additional tests of this booster, or gleaned enough data on Sunday to press ahead with a launch attempt this fall.
For the sake of comparison, a period of 70 days elapsed between the static fire test of Booster 7, which powered the first Starship launch, and its liftoff.
Most notably, engineers and technicians have installed large water deluge system, and performed what appeared to be a successful test of it on July 28.
Several days after this launch attempt, SpaceX founder Elon Musk said the problem could be solved with a “longer detonation cord” to make sure the propellant tanks are fully unzipped rapidly.
Videos on updates and more info:
Labpadre https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=mKMvbvIlZWY
Marcus House https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=jmx918LUiC4
