SpaceX’s Starship rocket system reached several milestones in its second test flight before the rocket booster and spacecraft exploded over the Gulf of Mexico.

  • @[email protected]
    link
    fedilink
    137 months ago

    A user in another thread pointed out that during relight, not all engines lit, and the ones that did started going back out.

    • @[email protected]
      link
      fedilink
      67 months ago

      Scott Manley suggested the hot-stage combined with the fast flip maneuver may have caused fuel to slosh away from the intakes in the tank, leading to ingestion of gas bubbles in the fuel lines. Those would have damaged or destroyed engines as they worked their way into the turbo pumps, leading to the progressive engine-outs seen on the stream before the eventual catastrophic failure of the booster.

    • @[email protected]
      link
      fedilink
      17 months ago

      I’m guessing they wanted to show the FTS works really good now and terminates at the first sign of something wrong. Last time it was doing those flips for quite a while.