Can someone cut through the woo for me?
As of January 2020, what is the single longest duration firing executed with a Raptor engine? Have any successfully run for full mission duration?
Sourced answers only, please.
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asked Jan 27, 2020 at 14:39
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2 Answers
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The longest test firing of a developmental Raptor engine was 100 seconds, according to Elon's talk at IAC on September 29, 2017. The duration was limited by tanks, and would only have been superseded by one of the flight burns, which @Machavity has given a good summary, the longest of which was under 60 seconds.
answered Jan 27, 2020 at 15:57
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$\begingroup$ Interesting, sounds like their test stand can't support a full duration test firing. $\endgroup$ Commented Jan 28, 2020 at 16:54
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On July 25, 2019 Starship Mark 1 mock-up test flight ran for 22 seconds
The silver test vehicle, made of stainless steel, took off around 10:45 p.m. CDT Thursday (11:45 p.m. EDT; 0345 GMT) at SpaceX’s launch and test facility in Boca Chica, Texas, a beachside community near Brownsville.
The Starship prototype, known as the Starship Hopper or “Starhopper,” was supposed to fly to a height of about 65 feet (20 meters), move sideways a bit, and then settle back on the ground on its three-legged landing gear.
Elon Musk, SpaceX’s founder and CEO, declared the 22-second test flight a success.
On Aug 27, 2019 Starhopper flew again. There was no official time given, but the video puts it around 57-60 seconds (can't see when the engine shut down)
"Starhopper" had a single Raptor engine. This craft was destroyed in a November mishap (the mishap was not involving the Raptor engine itself) so no other flights have been made.
