Overview
| Type: | Prototype |
|---|---|
| Class: | Starship |
| Status: | Destroyed |
| Fate: | Hard impact on landing |
| Year Built: | 2020 |
| Year Decomissioned: | 2020 |
History
SN8 was the first prototype to incorporate a nosecone, control surfaces and three raptor engines. On 4 October 2020 the aft flaps were tested under their own power.
Four static fires were conducted prior to flight, and on the 12 November debris from the pad damaged the vehicle resulting in the loss of vehicle pneumatics. Pressure continued to rise in the LOX header tank, SN8 was saved from destruction by a burst disk which operated and relieved the pressure.
The first attempt to test the vehicle on 8 December 2020 was aborted by the vehicle, a second test attempt took place on 9 December 2020 resulting in a successful launch, flip and controlled descent, however SN8 was destroyed after impacting the ground at a higher velocity than intended after loss of pressure in the header tank caused the engines to fail.
Milestones
All dates & times are local unless otherwise indicated.
Test Launches
| Date/Time | Launch Site | Apogee | Outcome | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 December 2020 | Suborbital Pad A, Boca Chica, Texas | 12.5 km | Partial Success | 6 minutes, 42 seconds |
| Launch, flip and controlled descent were all successful, but SN8 suffered a hard landing and was destroyed. | ||||
Media
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Flight Videos
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Good Starship SN8 static fire! Aiming for first 15km / ~50k ft altitude flight next week. Goals are to test 3 engine ascent, body flaps, transition from main to header tanks & landing flip.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 24, 2020
We lost vehicle pneumatics. Reason unknown at present. Liquid oxygen header tank pressure is rising. Hopefully triggers burst disk to relieve pressure, otherwise it’s going to pop the cork.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 13, 2020
Burst disk worked, so vehicle appears to be ok. We’ll have to swap out at least one of the engines.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 13, 2020