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Completion of Cryogenic Proof Testing
The upgraded Super Heavy booster, intended for SpaceX's next Starship flight, has finished cryogenic proof testing. This step resolves a critical issue that led to the destruction of the company's previous booster.
Cryoproof operations complete for the first time with a Super Heavy V3 booster. This multi-day campaign tested the booster's redesigned propellant systems and its structural strength.
Testing Process at Starbase
Ground teams at Starbase, Texas, moved the 237-foot-tall (72.3-meter) stainless-steel booster from its factory to Massey's Test Site last week. The test sequence began with a pressure test at ambient temperatures, followed by four loadings of super-cold liquid nitrogen over six days. These actions subjected the booster to repeated thermal and pressurization cycles. The nitrogen acts as a substitute for the cryogenic methane and liquid oxygen that will fill the booster's propellant tanks on launch day.
