Post by @AkaSci@fosstodon.org

I missed watching flight 12 of the SpaceX Starship. Here is what is being reported -
- Launch: normal
- Booster lost one raptor engine.
- After Hot-Staging, only 5 of the target 13 Booster Raptors were lit
- Booster crashed uncontrolled with 1 engine in the ocean
- Starship lost 1 of 6 engines but made it close to intended orbit; deployed dummy payloads
- Raptor re-light was skipped
- Starship normal reentry; landed in the ocean with 2 of 3 engines, then exploded

Success 🍾

1/n

Two still from webcast of Starship "landing" in the ocean
1. A beaten up dark Starship, toppling over after it hit water
2. The mushroom cloud after the explosion — Two still from webcast of Starship "landing" in the ocean 1. A beaten up dark Starship, toppling over after it hit water 2. The mushroom cloud after the explosion

Mastodon Migration

@mastodonmigration@mastodon.online · 1 hour ago

@AkaSci

Very curious about the loss of the one Raptor at t+1:43. Note one of the engine lights in the bottom left graphic goes out, and maybe there is a puff of fire. At t+1:53 there may be another puff of fire. Then they begin the shut down sequence and separation prematurely and the booster never relights successfully.

Hypothesis or just wild guess is that the engine malfunction was catastrophic in some way and resulted in damage that forced the early separation etc.

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