SpaceX has just successfully passed its final test for its Starhopper test prototype. Launched at Boca Chica, Texas, the Starhopper flew to an altitude of 500 feet (150 meters), where it stayed hovering for almost a minute.
Equipped with a single new gen SpaceX Raptor engine, the test aka "Hop" will help in working out any issues in the hardware and performance. This Raptor engine will be the same engine equipped to the larger Starship exploration rocket, except unlike the Starhopper’s single engine, the Starship will be strapped with six of them. With the successful completion of this test, SpaceX can now look into developing the 55-meter-tall Starship spacecraft.
For more tech news, Google Maps introduces its "Mixed Modes" function for multipart journeys.
One day Starship will land on the rusty sands of Mars pic.twitter.com/EfENYVdOzM
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) 27 August 2019