![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/2019-03-18-174905.jpg\")
<\/p>\nTesting of SpaceX\u2019s Starhopper suborbital vehicle in Boca Chica, Texas, achieved a new milestone on Wednesday evening with a Static Fire test of its Raptor engine. The test comes after over a week of Wet Dress Rehearsals (WDR) and pre-burner tests. Thursday would have technically resulted in its first hop, albeit by just inches due to being tethered to the pad. A second hop on Friday night resulted in a visible hop.
\n
\nStarhopper testing:<\/b><\/p>\n
SpaceX\u2019s Starhopper is ramping up test operations at Boca Chica, Texas, ahead of what\u2019s anticipated to an incremental series of testings, firings and hops.<\/p>\n
In the opening days of the testing sequence, observers at the east Texas test and launch facility documented numerous cryogenic tests of Starhopper\u2019s propellant tanks that hold Liquid Oxygen (LOX) and Liquid Methane to fuel the vehicle\u2019s Raptor engines.<\/p>\n
These tests involved fueling Starhopper with LOX and liquid methane and testing the pressurization systems, observed via icing of propellant lines leading to the vehicle and the venting of cryogenic boil off at the launch\/test site.\n<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
A Tanking Test takes place on Starship Hopper \u2013 via NSF\u2019s BocaChicaGal<\/p>\n
These tanking and pressurization tests occurred after Starhopper was transported from its build location to its launch\/test stand down the road and proceeded without any of the vehicle\u2019s Raptor engines installed, something Elon Musk noted would happen in short order.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
This was followed by visual confirmation of the first Raptor engine\u2019s arrival at the Texas site and subsequent installation to Starhopper.<\/p>\n
In quick order, residents of Boca Chica Village were notified via mail of imminent tests and road closures that would occur as early as the week of 18 March. <\/p>\n
Space Shuttle models (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});<\/p>\n The notice to residents revealed that a security checkpoint would be set up on the road leading to Boca Chica Village and that residents would have to show proof of residence in order to gain access to their homes; any passengers in those vehicles would also have to show proof of residence.<\/p>\n This indicated that no guests will be allowed past the security checkpoint during the flight test operations of Starhopper.<\/p>\n With the recent arrival and installation of the first Raptor engine into Starhopper, there was speculation as to whether the test Boca Chica residents were told of would be a hold down static fire or the first hop of Starhopper.\n<\/p>\n Raptor Installation on Starship Hopper \u2013 via NSF Member Nomadd for L2<\/p>\n Elon Musk confirmed via Twitter that it would \u201chopefully\u201d be a hop \u2013 but only a barely getting off the ground hop and not a low-altitude suborbital hop.<\/p>\n Those suborbital hops require all three of Starhopper\u2019s Raptor engines be installed.<\/p>\n This is quite a departure from how SpaceX has previously proceeded with vehicle testing \u2013 forgoing a hold down static fire and instead allowing the single Raptor to lift Starhopper off the ground \u2013 albeit only slightly \u2013 on its very first integrated firing.<\/p>\n In January, Mr. Musk indicated that Starhopper flight tests could begin as soon as February-March 2019 \u2013 which might come true \u2013 if no unforeseen circumstances occurred. <\/p>\n A significant storm impacted the Boca Chica test site earlier this year \u2013 knocking the top of Starhopper over and damaging it; it was thought that this would require a rebuild to the nose cone.\n<\/p>\n Two sections of the Orbital Starship being constructed at Boca Chica from NSF Member Nomadd for L2<\/p>\n But Mr. Musk noted on Twitter (17 March) that the company is no longer building a nose cone for Starhopper \u2013 that they \u201cdon\u2019t need it\u201d \u2013 and that the additional construction seen at Boca Chica of late is actually for the first orbital Starship vehicle.<\/p>\n During a period of over a week, StarHopper underwent almost daily tanking tests, WDRs and a few pre-burner tests. Some of these tests worked to mitigate an issue with ice formations on the prevalves, as noted by Elon Musk a few days ago.<\/p>\n Then, on Thursday, came the milestone of the first Raptor firing on the Hopper.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/2019-03-18-175305.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/2019-03-18-174333.jpg\")
<\/p>\n