SpaceX's Starhopper prototype made it through a night of static-fire testing and flames earlier this week. (Photo Credit: BocaChicaGal / Twitter)
SpaceX’s Starhopper is apparently an unbreakable “bullet”: The prototype survived a wild night of static-fire testing that involved extreme heat and flames on Tuesday, according to SpaceX CEO Elon Musk.
On July 16, the Starhopper burst into flames after a routine static-fire test of its Raptor engine at SpaceX’s facility in Texas, Space.com reported.
Despite concerns over the Starhopper’s condition, Musk tweeted that the prototype was “not bothered” by the incident.
“Big advantage of being made of high strength stainless steel: not bothered by a little heat,” Musk replied on Thursday after someone asked if the Starhopper was okay. “Post-test fuel leak, but no major damage,” Musk added in another follow-up tweet.
Tuesday’s static-fire test was conducted to prepare the Starhopper for its first untethered test flight, which would send the prototype to an altitude of roughly 65 feet in the air. So far, the Starhopper has completed two short hop tests, both of which occurred in April. However, during these tests, the Starhopper was still attached to the ground for safety purposes.
The untethered test is coming soon though: Musk disclosed that SpaceX aims to have the Starhopper complete this “hover operation” sometime next week.
The Starhopper is a prototype for the Starship, SpaceX’s vehicle that will transport people to Mars in the future. With the Starship, SpaceX could make space travel more accessible in coming years.