SpaceX's 'Starhopper' test vehicle takes a short Raptor-powered trip

Elon Musk said all systems are green after its tiny tethered hop.


As SpaceX proceeds with development of its Starship vehicle, it's first testing out the spacecraft's Raptor engines. Today a stubby Starhopper test vehicle mounted with a single engine -- as opposed to the more advanced Phase 2 version shown above -- completed its first tethered hop of just a few inches at the Texas launch site, as spotted by nearby observers. Elon Musk tweeted "All systems green" after the test, which may not have gone far but recalls the early days of Grasshopper rocket tests before we got used to the sight of Falcon 9 rocket engines returning to Earth after successful launches.

Musk previously said that suborbital test flights would require three of the engines -- the final version of Starship f.k.a BFR will have more -- and we'll be waiting to see when that happens.

Newsletter

Introducing 'Fronx' - Maruti Suzuki's sporty C-SUV at Ambal Auto's Nexa showroom in Nava India!

The car is designed with a modern aerodynamic style that is both aesthetically pleasing and sporty. The Fronx C-SUV is p...

Hello iPhone: Following EU, Indian Government to make USB-C charging port mandatory across all smartphones

Earlier this year, Greg Joswiak, Senior Vice President, worldwide marketing at Apple said during The Wall Street Journal...

Covid Vaccine 100% Effective On 12-15-Year-Olds: BioNTech-Pfizer

Covid Vaccine 100% Effective On 12-15-Year-Olds: BioNTech-Pfizer

Telegram introduces group voice chat in a unique way to mimic conference calls

Telegram introduces group voice chat in a unique way to mimic conference calls

Coimbatoreans witnessed The Great Conjunction with a telescopic view

The solar system's two biggest planets - Jupiter and Saturn were in a straight plane yesterdayas part of "The Great Conj...

Astronomy Festival on 21 Dec: Discussion on rare event of alignment of Jupiter and Saturn

Astronomy Festival on the 21st: Discussion on the rare event of alignment of Jupiter and Saturn