updates
Starship SN9 misses an engine at landing
On February 2, 2021, SpaceX said SN9 flew to about 10 km and hit hard after one Raptor failed to relight for the landing flip.
Topics: space-civilization starship
This page is an original Muskularity summary. It does not republish SpaceX’s full post. Figures are the company’s statements on the cited date unless another primary link is named.
Summary
SN9 flew the second high-altitude test on February 2, 2021, from the Cameron County site. Like SN8, three Raptors climbed to about 10 kilometers, shutting down in sequence. The ship moved onto header tanks, fell under four-flap control, and started the landing flip. One Raptor did not relight. SpaceX said that sent the ship into the ground at high speed. The post gives that failure mode and no further root cause.
Key facts
| Fact | Label |
|---|---|
| Second high-altitude flight, February 2, 2021, apogee about 10 km | Company flight report |
| One of the landing Raptors did not relight | Company flight result |
| High-speed impact | Company flight result |
Why it matters
The relight is the step SN8 also missed, for a different stated reason (header-tank pressure). SN9 isolates the failure to a single engine that did not restart. SN10 is the next try.
On this site
Sources
- SpaceX update, February 2, 2021 — Grade A, company post
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