SpaceX Starhopper rocket makes its first untethered hop
Posted on Friday, July 26 2019 @ 13:50 CEST by Thomas De Maesschalck
SpaceX succesfully tested its Starhopper rocket, this time for the first time without a cable, in Boca Chica, Texas. Equipped with a single Raptor methane engine, the rocket reached the planned altitude of 20 meters. Within a week or two, SpaceX will attempt to hit an altitude of 200 meters. A day earlier, the test got aborted just seconds into the attempt after a malfunction.
Starhopper will be used to test the new Raptor engine and to perfect vertical landings. Future versions will receive three rockets, it's a small-scale prototype intended to test the technologies that will power the Starship spacecraft, which will get six Raptor engines, and its Super Heavy booster, which will feature 35 Raptor engines.