Cited on HN 3 times, 2020–2021, never outright recommendedscore 0
Years with an HN recommendation, 2007–2026
HN refers to it for details such as engine behaviour and for comparison with later Starship prototypes.
SpaceX's livestream of the Starship SN8 high-altitude test on December 9, 2020. It ascended, did the landing flip with flap control and reached the landing point, but touched down hard because of low header tank pressure.
At around 1:49:46 ( [this video] ) (T+1:34) one of the engines shuts off, and things seems to move a bunch. Some equipment covered in some kind of tarp really close to the engines ends up burning up. What is behind these loose coverings? Why are these things so close to the engines?
I believe this is what the engines are doing during the majority of the ascent of the Starship SN8 test vehicle[0]. You can see the engines gimbaling very slightly in a circular pattern. [0]: [this video]
It is interesting and informative to compare SN9 to SN8. SN8: [this video] SN9: [link] With SN8, you can clearly see two engines lighting and burning properly until just before it (crash) lands. With SN9, you can clearly see one engine lighting and burning properly, but the second engine did not light cleanly and did not stay lit.
SN8 engines lit properly, for comparison with SN9.
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