BOCA CHICA – SpaceX successfully completed its highly-anticipated Starship SN5 prototype’s 150-meter hop test at SpaceX’s Boca Chica facility Tuesday.
Just before 7 p.m., in SpaceX team’s third attempt, the stainless steel spacecraft prototype, with a single SpaceX raptor engine, “hopped” nearly 500 feet into the air before coming back down and landing on its legs, as it was designed by SpaceX to do. The two-stage rocket system is also collectively called Starship.
For SpaceX, this was a big milestone in Starship’s development. Workers continue to build and test Starship prototypes, a spacecraft designed for long-term spaceflight. It would carry cargo and 100 passengers, launching atop SpaceX’s Super Heavy rocket.
The destination: Mars.
For now, SpaceX will continue to work on the spacecraft after the SN5 prototype passed previous tests with flying colors and now the hop test.
The founder of SpaceX, Elon Musk, tweeted about the event, saying “Mars is looking real.”
Mars is looking real
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 5, 2020
Original story:
This is now the second day of SpaceX’s attempts at the 150m hop test. The first one happened Monday the second scrub happened this Tuesday morning. Now, this village is expecting there will be another attempt Tuesday night.
It seems, for many space enthusiasts, the SpaceX Starliner 150 meter hop couldn't happen sooner. It is all part of SpaceX's goal to bring humans to the moon and mars. After the Starship SN5 prototype cleared a major test Thursday, the static fire.
All have been waiting to see what would be a truly remarkable hop test. Should all go well, the massive water-tower-like spacecraft will “hop” nearly 500 feet into the air and then land. It’s all part of SpaceX’s plan to create a sustainable and reusable vehicle system to bring humans to the moon and Mars. This test would be one of many more in Boca Chica, as the Starship is still developing.
In fact, Boca Chica is a place now dedicated to rapidly building a number of prototypes where build and test is the name of the game. In Monday evening’s attempt, SpaceX founder and Chief Engineer, Elon Musk, said a Raptor engine spin-valve was to blame. Tuesday morning there was another attempt and abort and but the day is not over.
Cameron County roadblocks are up until midnight Tuesday.