SpaceX’s SN9 starship is getting ready for the preflight launch and might launch very soon. A few days back, the company performed three static firing tests on the rocket, which went pretty well. But, now the company announced that they are swapping two of the three engines from the rocket. This is because they have slight damage and need to be repaired, Musk said on Twitter. He also said that the company thinks it’s best to perform another static firing test before doing a high-altitude test flight.
About the SN9 starship
Till now, everything has gone very well for the starship, and it seems the launch flight will also be successful. The SN9 is 50 meters tall and plans to take humans and cargo to Mars. It is paired with the Superheavy rocket, which will propel the starship to the Earth’s orbit and then will return back to Earth for getting reused. The SN9 also has all the latest technology from the company, making it one of the most advanced tech by the company. This starship is the intermediary between humans and Mars. And if everything goes well, we can reach there by 2026.
The SN9 also fixes the issues that the SN8 starship has, leading to its disastrous crash. Elon Musk said that the low fuel tank pressure and the speedy landing was the primary reason for the crash of the SN8. So, at least that shouldn’t be a problem on the SN9 starship.
Recent tests on the SN9
SN9 had their preflight testing between 29th December and 6th Jan. The testing involved tests like the cryogenic pressurization and the static firing tests. While the pre-flight testing was over on 6th Jan, the company performed 3 static fires on 13th Jan in very quick succession. The tests took place in Texas at 1:28 PM(EST), 3:22 PM(EST), and the last at 4:36 PM(EST). All of the static firing tests went well, as Elon said on Twitter, “All three static fires completed & no RUDs!”.
Elon recently said that there might be one more static firing test after the raptor engines are replaced on the SN9. And once that is done, the SN9 will also do a high-altitude hop like the SN8. It is probably going to reach at least 40,000 feet in height or even more. And if successful, will be a huge step forward towards our goal of reaching Mars.
What are your thoughts on the SN9 starship and all the successful testing conducted on it? Also, Do you think that the SN9 flight test will be a success? let us know in the comments below. Also, if you found our content informative, do like it and share it with your friends.
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