SpaceX Starhopper Vehicle Completes First Raptor Engine Test Hop
SpaceX successfully completes a tethered hop with its Starhopper test vehicle in Texas. The brief test marks an early milestone for the Raptor engine ahead of future suborbital flights.
SpaceX takes a major early step in its Starship development by successfully flying the Starhopper test vehicle. The stubby prototype, equipped with a single Raptor engine, completes a tethered hop of just a few inches at a Texas launch site. This brief liftoff serves as the first live test of the powerful engine that eventually drives the full-scale spacecraft.
CEO Elon Musk confirms the success of the low-altitude test by tweeting that all systems are green. While the maneuver is minimal, it strongly recalls the early Grasshopper tests that paved the way for the now-routine Falcon 9 rocket landings. Nearby observers spot the short hop, giving space fans an exciting look at the next generation of SpaceX hardware.
The current Starhopper prototype only uses one engine, but future suborbital test flights require three Raptors to operate simultaneously. The final version of the Starship spacecraft features even more engines for full orbital capabilities. Space enthusiasts now wait eagerly to see when SpaceX attempts these more ambitious untethered flights.