- SpaceX’s Raptor engine test at McGregor facility ends in fiery explosion.
- Starship launch schedule remains unaffected despite incident.
- Company aims for upcoming Starship test flight on June 5th with upgraded objectives.
A routine engine test at SpaceX’s McGregor facility took a dramatic turn as a Raptor 2 engine ignited, resulting in a fiery explosion. While the cause is still under investigation, early reports suggest a potential engine anomaly, possibly triggered by a vapour leak leading to the fire.
Despite the incident, SpaceX assures that the explosion will not affect the launch schedule for the upcoming Starship test flight. The company remains on track for the fourth Starship test flight on June 5th, with objectives focused on achieving a controlled splashdown of the Super Heavy booster and a successful atmospheric reentry of the Starship upper stage.
The upcoming test flight follows lessons learned from previous flights, with SpaceX implementing hardware and software upgrades to address issues encountered during reentry and descent. Despite the setback, SpaceX remains committed to advancing its Starship program and achieving milestones in space exploration.
The raptor testing stand at McGregor experienced an anomaly a few moments ago. The vapors from the anomaly caused a secondary explosion on the test stand.
Link: https://t.co/Eh5oaicmrw pic.twitter.com/3K7tz8d6OF
Here is the full clip of the test that ended in a RUD.
(video and audio synced)
See what’s next steps are ahead: https://t.co/s5km3WuOOX https://t.co/lKDvoOXoz2 pic.twitter.com/rNgQUnz5LV— carson_phillips (@Cphillips_03) May 23, 2024
