Overview
| Type: | Prototype |
|---|---|
| Class: | Starship |
| Status: | Destroyed |
| Fate: | Hard impact on landing |
| Year Built: | 2020 |
| Year Decomissioned: | 2021 |
History
SN9 was a vehicle designed to undertake high altitude testing.
Construction
In late November 2020 it had its nosecone stacked in the High Bay.
While under construction SN9 suffered damaged after tipping in the High Bay on 11 December. On 14 December the vehicle was righted, and the damaged fin replaced on 20 December.
The vehicle was rolled out to Suborbital Pad B on 22 December with the testing regime commencing shortly after.
Testing
SN9 conducted six static fires, including three in a single day on 13 January 2021. Following the triple static fires, Musk announced that two of the raptor engines would be replaced needing repairs.
On 2 February 2021 SN9 conducted its test flight. Take off, ascent, flip and the controlled descent were all performed successfully. However when attempting landing one of the engines failed to ignite, leading to a hard landing and the destruction of the vehicle. SN10 which was sitting on Suborbital Pad A was not damaged by the explosion.
Milestones
All dates & times are local unless otherwise indicated.
Test Launches
| Date/Time | Launch Site | Apogee | Outcome | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 February 2021 | Suborbital Pad B, Boca Chica, Texas | 10km | Partial Success | 6 minutes, 26 seconds |
| Take off, ascent, flip and the controlled descent were successful, but one engine failed to ignite on landing leading to a hard impact. | ||||
