Starship Prototype

Status

Suborbital

Partial Failure

12.5-Kilometer Test Flight

Launch Time
Wed Dec 09, 2020 22:45 UTC

First flight of a full-scale Starship prototype. SN8 landed hard and was destroyed due to low pressure in the liquid methane header tank, however most test objectives were achieved.

Watch | Article

Rocket

Starship Prototype

Image Credit: SpaceX

SpaceX

Status: Active

Liftoff Thrust: 6,000 kN

Stages: 1

Strap-ons: 0

Rocket Height: 50.0 m

Fairing Diameter: 9.0 m

Details

Vehicles

Starbase Landing Zone A

SN8

Flight #1

1st Starship recovery attempt

1st failed Starship recovery

Manifest

Mission Details

12.5-Kilometer Test Flight

SpaceX conducted a suborbital test flight of Starship Prototype SN8 to an altitude of 12.5 kilometers under the power of Raptors SN30, SN36, and SN42. During the landing burn, low pressure in the methane header tank caused the propellant flow rate and thus thrust to drop and SN8 landed hard and was destroyed. Ascent, aerodynamic descent, and the landing flip maneuver were all successful.

Suborbital

Location

Suborbital Pad A, Starbase, Texas, USA

Wiki

Stats

1st mission

1st mission of 2020