←back to thread

Starship Flight 7

(www.spacex.com)
649 points chinathrow | 2 comments | 16 Jan 25 21:25 UTC | HN request time: 0.422s | source
Show context
modeless ◴[16 Jan 25 22:46 UTC] No.42731863[source]▶
Oh no they lost the ship after the booster landed! Seems like they lost an engine, then I saw fire around the rear flap hinges in the last images before they cut out, and then the telemetry showed more engines shutting down until it froze.

During ascent I also noticed a panel near the front fins that seemed to be loose and flapping. Probably not related but who knows.

Edit: Here's a video of the aftermath. Strangely beautiful. https://x.com/deankolson87/status/1880026759133032662

replies(4): >>42731934 #>>42731945 #>>42732066 #>>42732158 #
londons_explore ◴[16 Jan 25 23:06 UTC] No.42732066[source]▶
> fire around the rear flap hinges

I believe it's pretty hard to have a fire at that altitude. You need a leak of both methane and oxygen, and an ignition source.

I wonder if perhaps one of the engines split open and the exhaust wasn't going into the engine bell?

replies(2): >>42732093 #>>42732306 #
pixl97 ◴[16 Jan 25 23:32 UTC] No.42732306[source]▶
I mean blowing liquid oxygen on something with a hot heat source beside it typically turns things to fuel you wouldn't expect. Like metal.
replies(2): >>42732331 #>>42738380 #
1. londons_explore ◴[17 Jan 25 15:16 UTC] No.42738380[source]▶
At atmospheric pressure, yes.

But up at 140km altitude, the pressure is so low that I don't think even pure oxygen would lead to combustion.

replies(1): >>42740894 #
2. fooker ◴[17 Jan 25 17:34 UTC] No.42740894[source]▶
There are two huge tanks providing the pressure here.