SpaceX starts testing its Super Heavy booster, and it’s “not good”

A ground-based test of the Super Heavy rocket that is intended to boost a spaceship's upper stage into space ended in flames on Monday. There was a fire in the area for more than an hour.

This is the first time that a booster stage has ever been tested by the company. Monday's test was not intended to lead to a static fire test, so seeing fire erupt from the rear of the vehicle was a surprise.

The Raptor engine has a complicated sequence of events that must unfold precisely in order for it to ignite. Something must have caused methane propellant to ignite, with the ambient oxygen in the air serving as an oxidizer.

The test was not good, and the issue occurred during a simultaneous test of all the engines, according to Musk. He said that they wouldn't do a spin start test with all the engines at the same time.

After the anomaly, Musk flew into Brownsville to assess the damage and come up with a plan for the future. He said that the base of the vehicle seemed okay by flashlight. About an hour ago, I was out there. The pads were shut down for safety. In the morning, will know more.

A potential launch attempt for the Super Heavy rocket and Starship upper stage in August would boost the upper stage to an altitude of about 250 km before the vehicle returns to Earth. The company hasn't gotten a formal license from the FAA for this test.

Technical issues with the massive rocket appear to be a bigger hurdle to overcome. There is a lot of work to be done before the Super Heavy rocket can be used for a launch attempt.

Booster 7 isn't the end of the world if it can't be saved. The assembly line in South Texas will be able to build the vehicles in a matter of months. Several are working in different stages. It would be more significant if 33 Raptor engines were lost.

There is a listing image on NASA Spaceflight.com.