SpaceX Starship SN6 Completes Hop Test as SN7.1 Prepares for Pressure Trial
SpaceX successfully flies the Starship SN6 prototype on a short hop in Texas while the next test tank, SN7.1, undergoes preparations for an upcoming cryogenic pressure test.
SpaceX successfully completes a short hop test with its Starship SN6 prototype at the Boca Chica facility in Texas. The stainless-steel vehicle lifts off from the launch pad under the power of a single Raptor engine and maneuvers to a controlled landing at a nearby target site.
Meanwhile, workers at the Starship production site actively prepare the SN7.1 test tank for an upcoming cryogenic pressure test. This specialized vehicle exists solely to push the structural limits of the updated steel alloy and tank design to ensure maximum safety for future orbital flights.
These simultaneous test campaigns demonstrate the rapid iterative development approach that SpaceX employs for its next-generation launch system. Each successful hop and pressure trial provides crucial data that engineers immediately feed back into the manufacturing process for the upcoming SN8 and SN9 orbital prototypes.