Bad News for SpaceX Starship -- Raptor Engine Exploded

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SUMMARY

The recent explosion of a SpaceX Raptor engine during testing at the McGregor facility has raised concerns but also highlighted the robustness of the testing process. According to NASASpaceflight, the anomaly led to a secondary explosion, although minimal damage occurred to the test stand. SpaceX routinely tests engines beyond their operational limits, which can lead to such incidents. While the explosion appears to be unplanned, specific testing parameters remain undisclosed by SpaceX.

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It didn't look as though there was much damage to the test stand. And if you're going to loose an engine, it's best to loose it on a test stand.
 
Not the first, and not the last either. They routinely test engines beyond their flight requirements, and sometimes actively to destruction. It's likely this explosion was unplanned but we don't know what parameters they tested without a statement by SpaceX.
 

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