SN10’s touch was more crunchy than soft.
SpaceX
On March 3 Finally, SpaceX made a soft landing of the latest prototype for its next-generation Mars rocket. But a few minutes later, SN10, as the third prototype known to make a high-flying test flight, introduced an unscheduled second flight after it exploded on the runway.
Elon Musk explained Tuesday that the landing was actually a little more crunchy than soft.
“The impact of 10 m / s (22 miles per hour) broken legs and part of the fuselage,” the SpaceX founder tweeted.
SN10 engine was low under pressure (probably) due to partial intake of helium from the fuel tank. Impact of 10m / s broken legs and part of the torso. Multiple corrections in the work for SN11.
– Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 9, 2021
A look at the landing of SN10 shows that it came in a bit fast and quick. It even seems to bounce slightly after touching.
On the mission’s live webcast, there’s a long silent silence (almost a full minute) from SpaceX commentator John Insprucker after he landed while SN10 was sitting on the road, leaning slightly to one side and a little on hit the fire, apparently unsure if it would be happy to tilt over and take a long permanent nap.
But SN10 did not tip and Insprucker finally declared a successful soft landing.
However, as a result of the broken landing legs and skirt, it appears that SN10’s fuel ended up where it should not have been a few minutes later, which makes it explode just like its two prototype predecessors.
SN8 en SN9 both came in for very hard landings. SN10 almost nailed it, but Musk said a fuel issue led to low pressure on the landing fire and the squeezing pressure.
“Multiple solutions in the works for SN11,” Musk tweeted.
Meanwhile, SN11 has already made an appearance on the road at the SpaceX Starship Development Center in Boca Chica, Texas, where it will soon begin testing before its own flight and landing effort.
We hope SN11 is the first of its brothers to survive the experience in one piece.
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