SpaceX Raptor suffers Anomaly during Testing after S40 completed First Static Fire! What Happened...

Guess what, y'all? Ship 40 has successfully completed its first single-engine static fire. But despite that milestone, several unexpected developments could still shape what happens next. Reports suggest a Raptor engine suffered a failure during testing at McGregor. Next, NASA and Boeing have now confirmed that Starliner won't fly again for at least another year. And lastly, Musk has officially revealed the name of SpaceX's ambitious new orbital data center project. Let's dive into all that in today's episode of Great SpaceX. It's fair to say that S40's first test attempt left many people slightly disappointed. There was no dramatic engine roar, only propellant loading followed by a brief flash from the engine section. Several theories quickly emerged. One suggested the test had been aborted. Another proposed that SpaceX never intended to perform a full static fire in the first place. Now, it appears the second explanation was correct. There was no indication of any major problem with the vehicle. Instead, SpaceX simply carried out a lighter verification test before advancing to the next phase. Then, on the afternoon of the 25th, the long-awaited firing finally took place. As usual, preparations began with heavy venting before propellant loading got underway. This time, however, the methane tank once again held only a relatively small amount of fuel, while the liquid oxygen tank was filled to roughly one-third capacity instead of being completely loaded. So what did that indicate? Simply put, it strongly suggested this wouldn't be a full six-engine static fire. Instead, SpaceX was preparing for a single engine test. Once everything was ready, the moment everyone had been waiting for finally arrived. At 6.37pm Central, one of Ship 40's sea-level Raptor engines ignited for the very first time. Thanks to the flame trench, an enormous cloud of smoke and dust blasted sideways across the test stand. Even with only one engine firing, the display was incredibly impressive. After all, a single sea-level Raptor generates roughly 280 tons of thrust. According to live observations, the burn lasted approximately 10 seconds, matching previous single-engine qualification tests. Overall, the test appears to have been a complete success. Most importantly, it confirms that the engine is ready for the in-space relight demonstration that was skipped during Flight 12. According to Gwynne Shotwell, SpaceX expects to achieve full orbital capability by Flight 14, making Flight 13 the logical opportunity to finally demonstrate the long-awaited engine relight before moving on to more ambitious orbital objectives. Another fascinating aspect of this test may have gone unnoticed. Based on available footage, SpaceX appears to have completed propellant loading between roughly 6.15 and 6.17pm. Yet, the propellant levels remained essentially unchanged until ignition nearly 20 minutes later. That may have been intentional. SpaceX could have been studying how cryogenic propellants behave after remaining inside the vehicle for an extended period. Engineers may have been measuring boil-off rates, monitoring pressure stability, or collecting thermal data. Although this occurred on the ground rather than in orbit, the results could still prove valuable for future orbital propellant storage. Holding cryogenic fuel for longer periods also increases the chance of detecting small leaks or thermal issues before flight. So, the obvious question becomes, what happens next? Under normal circumstances, the next step would be a full six-engine static fire. Once a successful single-engine test has been completed, that progression would seem perfectly logical. However, a surprising new variable has emerged. A sudden road closure notice was issued for June 26th from 10am to 2pm central, covering the route between Massey's and the production site. Many observers initially assumed it was intended for moving tanks or support equipment. But another possibility exists. Ship 40 itself could return to the production site immediately without ever performing the anticipated six-engine static fire. For now, we'll simply have to wait and see. If S40 rolls back this early, it would strongly suggest that SpaceX intends to complete additional work before attempting a full-engine firing. Personally, I hope that isn't the case. Skipping the six-engine test would almost certainly affect the overall schedule. At the same time, SpaceX has repeatedly demonstrated that it prefers eliminating every possible risk before committing a vehicle to flight. That cautious approach may become even more understandable considering another reported issue, this time at McGregor. McGregor serves as SpaceX's primary Raptor acceptance testing facility. Every production engine is tested there before being shipped to Starbase for installation. According to several local reports, one Raptor engine experienced an anomaly during testing accompanied by an unusually bright flash. Unfortunately, no photos or videos have surfaced to clarify exactly what occurred. Witnesses indicated that the flash didn't resemble a normal engine firing. If accurate, it raises the possibility that some type of explosion or hardware failure occurred. Overall, it's another reminder that the Raptor engine, despite its extraordinary capabilities, is still evolving. It remains one of the most complex rocket engines ever built and continues to undergo refinement. If S40 ultimately requires additional inspections or testing because of propulsion system concerns, that would be entirely understandable. Fortunately, we don't have to wait long for the answers. Within the next few hours, we'll know whether S40 continues its testing campaign or heads back to the production site. Whatever happens, I hope you'll continue supporting the incredible work being done by the SpaceX team. Show your support by saying keep working down in the comments and if you're among the roughly two thirds of viewers who still haven't subscribed, now is the perfect time to join us. By subscribing, you'll be among the first to receive daily updates covering SpaceX and the aerospace industry. Now, let's shift gears and talk about another spacecraft many of you have been following, the Boeing Starliner. You may not realize it, but it's now been more than two years since the Crew Flight Test or CFT-1 launched on May 6th of 2024. Since then, Starliner hasn't flown again. Unfortunately, that wait is going to continue. Members of the Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel, or ASAP, recently confirmed that although Boeing remains committed to fixing Starliner, there's still no firm schedule for the next uncrewed mission, Starliner 1. Current estimates now suggest it'll be at least another year before Starliner launches again. NASA's own updates paint a similar picture. Discussing current progress, former astronaut and ASAP member Kent Rominger stated, Teams continue to work through technical issues from CFT and address actions from the PIT report. Those technical issues stem directly from the Crew Flight Test. During its approach to the ISS, Starliner suffered multiple reaction control thruster failures. Following months of investigation, NASA concluded the spacecraft wasn't safe enough to bring astronauts home. Instead, Starliner returned to Earth uncrewed in September, while Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams remained aboard the ISS until March of 2025 before eventually returning aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon. In February, NASA released the findings of its Independent Program Investigation Team, or PIT. The report identified significant shortcomings in decision-making and leadership throughout the mission and recommended classifying the flight as a Type A mishap, the agency's most serious category. NASA accepted that recommendation. Since then, however, neither NASA nor Boeing has provided any major public updates regarding corrective actions. As recently as May, NASA stated that launch plans for Starliner 1 remain under review while engineers continue resolving propulsion system issues. Rominger explained during the ASAP meeting, The Starliner 1 uncrewed mission's launch target is under review as work continues to close the final propulsion system issues. Teams have a better understanding of the anomalies experienced during CFT through investigations and testing. He also noted that joint Boeing-NASA teams have now closed all 72 observations from the crew flight test and resolved 22 of the 28 in-flight anomalies. However, several of the most significant problems, including reaction control thruster failures and overheating inside the surface module's thruster doghouses, remain major constraints for Starliner 1. Today's uncertainty contrasts sharply with the optimism seen earlier this year. Back in early February, before the PIT report was released, NASA officials believed Starliner 1 could launch as early as April. By May, however, NASA acknowledged that even a 2026 launch had become uncertain because of technical issues and limited scheduling opportunities at the ISS. Later during the same meeting, ASAP Chair Susan Helms reiterated that her estimate? Sometime in the next year or so. Despite the delays, ASAP members emphasized that both NASA and Boeing remain committed to flying Starliner again and eventually achieving full crew certification. Rominger concluded, NASA and Boeing continue working toward the goal of Starliner's crewed certification, which includes defining what is needed and acceptable for the next uncrewed mission to reduce risk and confirm readiness for crewed missions. Clearly, while determination remains, uncertainty continues to overshadow Boeing's spacecraft. In the meantime, NASA is likely to continue purchasing additional crewed Dragon missions from SpaceX. That reality only strengthens Dragon's role as America's most reliable operational crew vehicle while Starliner remains caught in an extended recovery effort. We'll simply have to wait and see how things unfold. But while we're at it, here's a question for you. Given everything that's happened, should NASA cancel Starliner altogether and demand a refund from Boeing? And finally, let's wrap up with one of SpaceX's boldest future concepts. Musk has officially approved the name for SpaceX's planned orbital data center. The project will be called StarMind. Interestingly, Musk didn't formally announce the name himself. Instead, he simply replied yes to a post on X asking whether StarMind would become the official name. Once again, SpaceX is continuing its tradition of celestial-inspired branding. The company already has Starship, Starbase, Starlink, Starshield, Starfall, and Starfactory. SpaceX has also been considering the name StarPipe for its future Starship propellant pipeline system, although that name has not yet been officially confirmed. Among all these projects, however, StarMind may ultimately become the most ambitious. If Musk's vision becomes reality, this orbital computing network could eventually grow to roughly 100 times the size of today's Starlink constellation. Back in February of 2026, Musk described the concept by saying, By directly harnessing near-constant solar power with little operating or maintenance costs, these satellites will transform our ability to scale compute. He continued, It's always sunny in space. Launching a constellation of a million satellites that operate as orbital data centers is a first step towards becoming a Kardashev 2 level civilization, one that can harness the sun's full power while supporting AI-driven applications for billions of people today and ensuring humanity's multi-planetary future. It's certainly one of the boldest ideas SpaceX has ever proposed. Now that it finally has an official name, we'll be watching closely to see whether StarMind becomes yet another revolutionary chapter in SpaceX's ever-expanding vision for humanity's future in space. And that brings us to the end of today's episode. Thank you so much for tuning in. As always, this has been Kevin from GreatSpaceX, and until next time, keep looking up!