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originally posted by: anzha
a reply to: Chance321
Appears to have been a pressure test.
www.engadget.com...
Definitely LN2, then.
Update: SpaceX has issued a statement on the test, saying it's not a "serious setback."
The purpose of today's test was to pressurize systems to the max, so the outcome was not completely unexpected. There were no injuries, nor is this a serious setback.
As Elon tweeted, Mk1 served as a valuable manufacturing pathfinder but flight design is quite different. The decision had already been made to not fly this test article and the team is focused on the Mk3 builds, which are designed for orbit.
originally posted by: anzha
The new explosion is another setback, unfortunately, and will cause a significant delay in bringing the Starship to service.
RUPTURE UPDATE: Through back channels it has been revealed that MK1 suffered an accidental overpressure to failure. Fuel and oxidizer would typically be loaded to 3 Bar or 43.5 psi~ for densification purposes and flightworthy tanks may be tested to 1.5-2x that value for single time structural proofing. In the case of what happened today the story is that communications errors between the pumps/sensors and remote controls allowed the tanks to be massively and erroneously overpressured to the point of failure, leading to catastrophic rupture. We expect SpaceX in good time to reveal the details, they may explain it was deliberate as big changes in airframe and control surfaces in the succeeding MK series variants are coming.
Definitely LN2, then.