Elon Musk Directly INSPECTED Booster 12 'RAPTOR Engine WARPED' & declared this...

Elon Musk Directly INSPECTED Booster 12 'RAPTOR Engine WARPED' & declared this...
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0:00-0:25: Intro
0:26-2:50: Misunderstanding
2:51-4:47: The truth is…
4:48-10:11: New King of Engine
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#alphatech
#techalpha
#spacex
#elonmusk
#raptor
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Elon Musk Directly INSPECTED Booster 12 'RAPTOR Engine WARPED' & declared this...
SpaceX achieved a groundbreaking engineering feat on Sunday with the fifth test flight of the massive Starship rocket, followed by the booster’s return to the launch pad in Texas using mechanical arms just seven minutes later. However, as we observed, some of the Raptor engines on Super Heavy B12 encountered issues while landing in position for the catch. How did Elon Musk explain this?
Let’s break it down in today’s episode of Alpha Tech:
Was that fire caused by Super Heavy's Raptor engines?
If you closely followed SpaceX's Starship Flight 5, especially the remarkable landing of the Super Heavy, you might have noticed the fire at the bottom of the booster around T+06:32, which intensified at T+06:39. The flames were clearly visible in the engine bay, raising concerns that there might be an issue with Starship’s engines. However, that was not the case.
Elon Musk Directly INSPECTED Booster 12 'RAPTOR Engine WARPED' & declared this...
During the entire 7-minute flight from liftoff, all 33 Raptor engines operated flawlessly. None of the engines shut down unexpectedly, as seen in previous launches, and none failed to restart. In fact, they executed both shutdown and restart procedures smoothly and efficiently.
The moment when Booster 12 used three Raptor 2 engines to precisely redirect itself toward the catching tower was breathtaking. The process was 100% smooth and precise. Not just one or two—three engines worked together in perfect synchronization, delivering rhythmic, controlled movement. The accuracy of the thrust vectoring and gimbal systems was extraordinary, allowing the booster to perform complex maneuvers with grace and fluidity.
Elon Musk Directly INSPECTED Booster 12 'RAPTOR Engine WARPED' & declared this...
The motion was so controlled that it almost felt like watching CGI-rendered animation—a testament to the real-world precision required for such feats. This demonstrates the system's impressive ability to finely adjust thrust for delicate, high-stakes maneuvers.
Of course, we can’t overlook the role of "Mechazilla," SpaceX’s catching tower. The tower and its chopstick arms were thoroughly tested for stability, even at the top, where they bore significant pressure. Post-launch images revealed that Booster 12 still contained nearly 500 tons of fuel. To put that into perspective, the chopstick arms had to support the equivalent of 80 African elephants, 16 train cars, or three fully grown blue whales, each weighing around 200 tons.
Yet, the catch appeared incredibly gentle, with hardly any visible vibration. This smoothness was due to the new design of the chopstick arms, which SpaceX equipped with bumper pads featuring high elasticity. These pads helped slow down Super Heavy and absorb its inertia, making the catch look effortless. A slow-motion close-up even shows how well the 16 bumper pads performed during this crucial moment.

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[hemetsonshine]

Thank you Elon Musk for dreaming big and working to make your dream reality. Go Team SpaceX! You space nerds make us proud!

[bobbyquack]

The Swamps cash cow Boeing should hide their faces in shame.

[tonyangelias]

I am absolutely blown away by how wealthy Elon Musk is that he can put NASA to shame. Kudos to him. Congratulations to the billionaire who is doing something for this nation and this world

[DJCJ.]

What a glorious day in human history. We now begin the heavy lift era of space exploration. An age of abundance, indeed.

[Den-nupv]

Elon made nasa look like a bunch of clowns. GOD bless him

[mbunds]

What a beautiful catch!
It seemed so unreal how precise the landing guidance was, and how gently the booster set down.

[LivingWaterEternal]

The raptor engine belongs in The Museum of Modern Art when “Not in Use”. Absolutely amazing work of 3D printing and human ingenuity.

[melvinjohnson]

Space X is so far ahead of NASA, unbelievable!

[verge]

When I was a boy in school we used the aardvark as a standard measure of weight. We had great difficulty understanding things when the country shifted to the metric system. I had no end of trouble asking my mother to convert ''a kilogram of butter'' to the more easily understood equivalent in aardvarks.

[louis-pc]

When Elon started Space X he tried to hire rocket engineers but as he had no history in that field no one capable of doing the job would Hire on. Elon studied physics in college and decided to train himself. he read up on rocket designs and went to work. It was only after he had his initial success, his third rocket launching, the first two blew up, that he gained the required credibility that enabled him to hire good engineers. THIS MAN CAN INSPECT ROCKET ENGINES - HE BUILT THEM!

[burningwitchstudio]

Raptor 3 is going to be a big game changer.

[jscottupton]

We have finally caught up with the technology that existed in most 1950's science fiction movie...rockets landing backwards. Except we don't need to land on the fins.

[HammerOn-bugx]

What you didn't discuss was the obvious partial failure of the fill valves on the booster that were leaking both oxidizer and fuel to make the flame shooting from the side of the booster. This may have been an over pressure mechanism, but that has not been stated.

There was also, clearly, a small engine bay fire above the engines themselves that burned for a good 15 minutes post engine shutdown. I've not heard or read anything concerning that fire as well.

[bojangles]

Mechazilla was giving out free hugs that day.

[teemo]

We are seeing history in the making people💪🇺🇲💯❗

[Oracle_Speaks]

WELL DONE REVIEW OF STARSHIP 5 LAUNCH!

[glockspsmd]

When he first landed one we all thought it was fake. Crazy to see a rocket land like that

[glenroyrobinson]

I think this all amazing, I’m not a scientist a rocket engineer I’m just watching future of mankind’s move towards space exploration. I always get the feeling that people want to criticise why not just praise support and wish the best to those who dare to push beyond the norm.

[lidiasantoro]

Elon Musk and his amazing Space X team think big and execute.
We all watch your stunning acheivements with joy and happiness.

[ericvansteenlandt]

Thank you Elon, that I can see something so ingenious in my life!! This opens a huge door to the future!!