SpaceX's fully reusable launch vehicle, dubbed the Starship, has just passed a critical test that saw previous iterations explode into smithereens. On Sunday, the company's latest Starship prototype underwent a pressurized cryogenic test, which it had passed with flying colors.
The Starship's tanks were filled with extremely cold fuel placed under immense pressure. The test is critical to see if the rocket can meet its set pressure tolerances to ensure that it performs reliably during an actual launch. The last three prototypes that underwent the same test had either exploded or collapsed under the immense pressure.
The super-cold pressure test was conducted in the company's facility in Boca Chica, Texas. After ramping up tank pressures, the prototype rocket had remained intact. Passing the test was a major milestone for SpaceX as it could ill afford to lose another rocket after three failed attempts.
The last time that the company conducted the test was in November last year. On Monday, SpaceX and Tesla founder Elon Musk proudly announced the successful results on Twitter, stating that his rocket is now cryo proof. Musk had previously touted that he wanted to use the reusable rocket to launch cargo and people to the moon, Mars, and beyond. Unlike conventional rockets and similar to airplanes, SpaceX's Starship spacecraft can be used multiple times.
Driven by the success of the recent test, Musk announced that they will be moving forward with further tests. The billionaire businessman mentioned that SpaceX engineers will be installing a newly developed Raptor rocket engine onto the base of the Starship prototype to conduct a static fire test by the end of the week.
If successful, the company will move ahead with a test flight that will bring the rocket to an altitude of about 500 feet and then have it land safely back on the ground. The "hop" test is similar to the tests conducted by SpaceX on its previous prototype called the Starhopper. The upcoming tests will prove to be more challenging for engineers as the much larger spacecraft will need to launch and land using the same rockets, similar to the company's much smaller Falcon 9 rockets.
Musk claims that SpaceX should be ready to conduct its first hop tests in a "few weeks." However, the tests may be delayed due to possible issues with acquiring regulatory approvals from the Federal Aviation Administration.
SpaceX will then add as much as three additional Raptor engines to the spacecraft in order to perform test flights in gradually higher altitudes. The company's successful test pushes it further forward into meeting Musk's goals of reaching space by the end of the year and the moon by 2022.
