SpaceX's Starship SN8 Epic 12.5 km Flight - The biggest Hop ever of a Starship prototype

SpaceX's Starship SN8 Epic unmanned 12.5 km Flight - The biggest Hop ever of a Starship prototype

Mission was deemed an incomplete success, it exploded while trying to land. Looked like the landing engines failed to ignite soon enough

www.orlandosentinel.com...

A SpaceX Starship prototype was destroyed in a fireball as the company successfully launched it for a high-altitude flight but landed with an explosion.

The launch was an attempt to send SN8, as in serial number 8, to 12.5 km using three of the company’s Raptor engines for the first time, and return it safely to the company’s Boca Chica, Texas facility.

a reply to: putnam6

Perhaps they should outfit it with parachutes next time. You know, just in case.

originally posted by: Wide-Eyes
a reply to: putnam6

Perhaps they should outfit it with parachutes next time. You know, just in case.

Wouldn't have mattered in this case- they didn't have any problems with the landing sequence, they just didn't slow down enough for the landing.

I'm not sure why yet- maybe the engines didn't light up fast enough?
They'll figure it out. I'll be curious to see this thing in action, those landings are so cool to watch. I'd love to see one in person some day.

a reply to: lordcomac

they just didn't slow down enough for the landing. 

Precisely!

Parachutes!

They have said it was a fuel pressure problem. This hop was only given a 1 in 3 chance to land successfully because it was a first attempt at that long a burn and that high. They got all the data they were looking for on this flight for the next try.

originally posted by: lordcomac

originally posted by: Wide-Eyes
a reply to: putnam6

Perhaps they should outfit it with parachutes next time. You know, just in case.

Wouldn't have mattered in this case- they didn't have any problems with the landing sequence, they just didn't slow down enough for the landing.

I'm not sure why yet- maybe the engines didn't light up fast enough?
They'll figure it out. I'll be curious to see this thing in action, those landings are so cool to watch. I'd love to see one in person some day.

The landings are amazing to watch.

Even this was cool watching the craft go fro horizontal falling position to being up righted and again it looked like it hit too hard and exploded.

Parachutes kind of defeat the purpose here, which is to stick the landing. If and when they are really flying they will likely have chutes and or other escape systems for the occupants.

I did just see that note about fuel pressure.
Wonder why? I haven't followed this one closely, I'm not even sure what it uses for fuel.

a reply to: putnam6

That was awesome!

That was more that a hop. That was a flight.

Thanks for posting the link, I would of missed it.

Wow!
I thought the way the rocket re orientated itself back to vertical position for landing was amazing.

I was expecing it to start that manouvre much higher,and take longer to do,but no-just a quick blast of one of the side rockets and it popped to vertical.

But they need to do it higher I rek,to slow down more.

I think Elon said this launch had a 1 in 3 chance of sucess so they wer sort ecpecting this result.
Next time they'll iron out the bugs hopefully.
Looking good though

a reply to: Wide-Eyes

Last words "Comin' in hot!!!!!!"

SN8 seemed to have engine problems early in the hop. I didn't think spacex would continue but they did and given the clear problems, got a lot right. The flips were amazing to watch. They got so many things right, succes is almost certain with SN9.

Having a SN8 nose cone left to showcase, is still a landing. Kinda

A rocket straight out of a 50's sci fi series, cool. Damn near 2021 and this is what we're still playing with?!