In Elon Musk’s language, this is the type of event called “RUD”: unscheduled rapid disassembly or unplanned rapid disassembly. This will give a translation in French as “quick and unplanned deconstruction” or “quick and unexpected deconstruction.” The American businessman used this acronym to refer to Starship SN9 Experience Setbacks.

It is precisely the “RUD” that SpaceX tested while trying to launch the first stage of the launcher of the future Starship. Because RUD, after all, is just a humble term to say it blew up. The test, conducted on July 11, 2022, ended in a major explosion, with a fire breaking out on the first floor level of the spacecraft.

Engine Test

A video uploaded on July 12 by NASASpaceflight shows problems with Booster #7 from different angles. The explosion occurred below the stage, during engine-level tests – the spacecraft’s first stage, called the Super Heavy, will eventually be powered by 33 Raptor engines in order to rip the rocket off Earth’s gravity.

Damage to the booster and surrounding facilities is still being assessed. On Twitter, Elon Musk just commented In response to the video shared by NASASpaceflight: yes actually [ce n’est] not good. The team assesses the damage. “It appears that the floor was not seriously damaged, but the devices attached to it may have been destroyed, Like the oxygen line.

SpaceX is expected to periodically encounter difficulties during its tests, as it works to erase the vulnerabilities of the launcher before it is deployed. That’s what these tests mean: Detecting manufacturing defects and defects so they don’t get picked up on D-Day. This is exactly why NASA insisted on testing the space launch system.

SpaceX like it Take your first orbital flight with the spacecraft in 2022, but the first scheduled deadlines, in January and then in May, were not met. Perhaps this schedule was too ambitious. For now, uncertainty remains on the US company’s schedule. And with mismatches during booster #7 testing, the camouflage has gotten thicker.