Starhopper
The Starhopper was one of the initial prototype space flight vehicles made by space x for flight and engine testings. It consisted of one raptor engine enshielded within an aluminum body casing. The Starhopper took three maiden flights and was finally retired after its final 150 meters hop on 27 August 2019.
First Flight: - 5 April 2019: First hop of ~1 meter (3 feet) of
5 seconds
Second Flight: - 25 July 2019: Second hop of 20 meters (66 feet)
of 22 seconds
Third Flight: - 27 August 2019: Third and final flight of 150
meters (490 feet) of 1 minute
SN1
A prototype known as Mk3 was renamed SN1 (Serial Number 1). It
was destroyed on 26 February 2020 during a pressure test when the tank ruptured
near its thrust puck.
SN2
SN3
With the success of SN2; SpaceX returned to full-size prototype
testing with SN3 which failed the cryogenic proof testing. During the tests,
the LOX (Liquid Oxygen) Tank experienced a pressure loss and collapsed due to
bad commanding in the test sequence resulting in an explosion on 3 April, 2020.
SN4
SN4 completed the cryogenic pressure test on 26 April 2020 but it exploded a few weeks later after a successful static fire engine test when SpaceX tested a new propellant connection system. These systems need to be able to disconnect and reconnect to the Starship when needed.
SN5
A grain silo like SN5 flew for about 40 seconds on August 4, 2020, performing a small hop. It traveled sideways a bit covering an altitude of about 150 meters (500 feet). The spacecraft deployed its landing legs as planned and stuck the landing. SN5 was the second Starship prototype to get off the ground, and the first to do so after nearly a year after Starhopper.
SN6
The cylindrical SN6, which too looked like a grain silo with a rocket engine, rose high into the air on 3 September, 2020 and hovered for a few moments, and then set down on its stubby landing legs similar to SN5.
SN7
SpaceX intentionally destroyed the Starship SN7.1 and SN7.2 prototype in a pressurize to failure test. These prototype explosions held in the June of 2020, helped SpaceX understand the limits of their designs.
SN8
On 9 December 2020, SN8 flew a largely successful 12.5 km (41,000 ft) flight test, which included the first-ever three engine flight test, the first test of the body flaps during its novel bellyflop descent, and the first test of the "flip maneuver" landing burn at the end of the free‑fall phase. However the fuel header tank pressure was low during the landing burn, and SN8 landed at a higher speed than intended and exploded as a result.
SN9
On 2 February 2021, SN9 attempted a 10 km (33,000 ft) flight, but once again exploded on landing after one of the Raptor engines failed to ignite.
SN10
On 3 March 2021, SN10 completed the first intact landing of Starship after a 10km ascent. However, the landing was harder than expected due to unexpected low thrust. Immediately after the landing, there was a fire visible near the vehicle's skirt, prompting the deployment of the landing site's fire suppression system. Approximately eight minutes after the landing, the vehicle's liquid oxygen and methane tanks ruptured catastrophically, resulting in the fiery explosion of SN10 on the landing pad before it could be made safe and recovered.
SN11
The latest prototype SN11 exploded 5 minutes after takeoff on 30 March, 2021 due to an anomaly during the landing sequence. The cause of anomaly is yet to be found using the data collected from the debris.
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