Bad News for SpaceX Starship -- Raptor Engine Exploded

[Tom.G]

https://interestingengineering.com/innovation/spacex-raptor-engine-test-explosion

In a tweet accompanying a clip from the footage, NASASpaceflight wrote, “The raptor testing stand at McGregor experienced an anomaly a few moments ago. The vapors from the anomaly caused a secondary explosion on the test stand.”

 

[.Scott]

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.

 

[mfb]

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.