During a test of its Raptor 2 engines on May 23, a SpaceX testing stand at the company’s McGregor, Texas facilities caught fire. As reported by NASASpaceflight, an anomaly in the engine resulted in the release of vapors that led to a secondary explosion. The livestream from the news organization captured the engine’s shutdown preceding the fire, which eventually consumed the entire stand in flames and smoke.
Here is the full clip of the test that ended in a RUD.
(video and audio synced)
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The Raptor engines, powered by liquid methane and liquid oxygen, are utilized by SpaceX for the Super Heavy booster and upper-stage spacecraft of its Starship system. These engines are designed with enough thrust to propel the Starship to both the moon and Mars. Gizmodo suggests that a leak or a similar anomaly causing a mixture of its gases could be behind the explosion, though an official explanation from SpaceX is yet to be released.
SpaceX is currently gearing up for the fourth test flight of Starship, slated for June 5, subject to regulatory approval and favorable weather conditions. Despite the explosion, the launch window for the flight is not expected to be affected. The primary objectives for this upcoming test flight include ensuring a gentle splashdown of the Super Heavy booster in the Gulf of Mexico, and a controlled reentry of the Starship spacecraft.
Incorporating lessons from its third flight test, SpaceX has implemented numerous hardware and software enhancements. During the previous test, Starship’s upper stage successfully reached space but disintegrated upon reentry into the atmosphere, while the Super Heavy booster failed to achieve a smooth descent into the ocean, instead breaking apart in the final stages.
