Blowing up on the pad is incredibly worse from a design data collection perspective, a risk to life perspective, and a downstream impact to future launches perspective (nobody can use that site for a couple of months).
To be fair the last Starship to blowup on launchpad/ground was less than a year ago. It is a set back but it appears nobody has avoided this issue yet.
Blowing up on the pad is incredibly worse from a design data collection perspective, a risk to life perspective, and a downstream impact to future launches perspective (nobody can use that site for a couple of months).
To be fair the last Starship to blowup on launchpad/ground was less than a year ago. It is a set back but it appears nobody has avoided this issue yet.
https://www.livescience.com/space/space-exploration/spacexs-...
That was on a test stand, NOT a launchpad.
Vastly different destroying each of those.
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not to mention 7 days before it was meant to deliver a payload to space... a proper commercial payload. not just a POC payload.
If anything their one engine out unexpected but successful test boosts their position a bit.
After separation that turned into all engines out on the booster, so perhaps not.
The entire point of SpaceX’s recent launch was an explosion. They were aiming for that outcome. They wanted that outcome.
The fact they did it with pinpoint accuracy even with engine issues and an in tact heat shield is a monumental success for a test flight.
SpaceX also had a massive explosion on the ground not that long ago.
Absolutely, they were running a test on a test stand.
For BO it’s much better to have this now when there is no payload or people on board so they can correct whatever the issue is.