Fourth Starship prototype passes cryogenic tests

Elon Musk presented the concept of the interplanetary spacecraft Starship, formerly called BFR, in 2016.

It is planned that Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa will use it to fly to the Moon as a space tourist in 2020.

Starship - the name of the second stage and at the same timespaceship, and the first step is called Super Heavy. SpaceX previously carried out the first successful tests of the Raptor engine at Super Heavy, and then tested the engine for Starship.

In early April, SpaceX held cryogenictesting the third prototype of the Starship, during which the company's engineers filled the body of the device with liquid nitrogen. This was done in order to check how the hull of a ship behaves at a low temperature in space. Like the previous two prototypes, the body could not stand it and exploded.

However, cryogenic pressure testsof the fourth prototype were completed successfully. During testing, the pressure in the ship's tanks, pumped with liquid nitrogen, reached 4.9 bar - according to Musk, this is already enough for flights.

At the beginning of next week, the company will conduct fire tests of the prototype of the ship.

Earlier, SpaceX opened the third complex forStarship ship engine tests. It is located in the city of McGregor, Texas, and will accelerate the testing of engines for the device, which will have to go to the moon in 2021.