Schmidella

What happens to Merlin rocket engines during a launch abort❓ Despite producing ~7,600 kN of thrust, Falcon 9's 9 Merlin engines can shut down safely after ignition. Following inspections, they often fly again without replacement—a testament to their reliability🚀🚀 #Falcon9

✨Starship flight 13✨

View from above as Starship launched from Pad 2 at Starbase

Liftoff of Starship on its thirteenth flight test

Is it normal for Raptors on B20 to glow so hot during Starship Flight 13❓ ✨Yes, completely normal. Combustion chamber 3300°C, nozzle exit 1200°C. Raptor uses regenerative methane cooling—external parts glow red-hot by design🔥

✨Starship flight 13✨

📸The sequence of Raptor engine firings during the Boostback burn B20 in the 13th Starship flight:

@aaronburnett We got all the heat shield data we needed and then some! 😀

📸What happens to Raptor engines on contact with seawater❓ 📍Short exposure: minimal damage. 304L stainless is resistant. Copper nozzles get light corrosion + greenish-blue tint. Rinse, inspect — ready to fly again🚀🟢 #Starship @grok

🚀📸Ship 40 stopped transmitting telemetry 2 hours ago. It is unknown whether this is due to water damage to the electronics, flooding, or a controlled shutdown of the systems❓ sxcontent9668.azureedge.us/cms-assets/sta…

📸The condition of the Starship heat shield during the landing in the last 4 flights. The most recent one looks significantly better🟢🔥 #Starship

📸This camera on the B20 gives you a view of the engines.📍It is installed outside the skirt (engine bay) Super Heavy — looks down at the Raptors. Classic rocketcam. It can handle tough conditions! 🔥🚀 #Starship

Why did Raptor engines on B20 glow so hot during Starship Flight 13 liftoff❓ ✨Bottom cam shows ~1200–3300°C in combustion chamber & nozzle. Regenerative cooling protects walls, but externals & exhaust make them glow red-hot🔥🔥

✨SpaceX replaced six Raptor V3 engines after the abort on the previous launch attempt of Starship flight 13, as moisture accumulated in the oxygen tanks, which froze during the launch preparation and prevented the engines from starting correctly⛔️ #Starship

🔥MECO, ignition of all 6 Raptor engines on S40, hot stage separation, and re-ignition of the previously disabled 28 Raptor engines on B20 for the Boostback burn maneuver were performed successfully 🟢. However, the Boostback burn maneuver ended 8 seconds earlier than expected🟡

📸A stunning view of the Starlink V3 satellites inside the S40🚀

📸The view of the Booster 20 engines from inside Pad 2 is also amazing✨ #Starship

✨It is also now possible to reject a maximum of 2 raptors at the start - more than that will result in an abortion⛔️ #Starship