--- title: "Watch SpaceX’s Latest Starship Prototype Crumple Like a Can" description: "SpaceX's latest prototype dubbed \"SN3\" collapsed during a pressurized cryogenic fuel test Thursday night, as footage uploaded by NASASpaceFlight shows." date: "2020-04-03" modified: "2020-04-03" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/watch-spacex-starship-prototype-crumple" categories: - "Space" - "SpaceX" - "Starship" tags: - "elon musk" - "SpaceX" - "Starship" - "the digest" --- # Watch SpaceX’s Latest Starship Prototype Crumple Like a Can ![SpaceX's latest prototype dubbed "SN3" collapsed during a pressurized cryogenic fuel test Thursday night, as footage uploaded by NASASpaceFlight shows.]() *\Image: NASASpaceFlight\* ## Leaky Valves SpaceX's latest prototype dubbed "SN3" collapsed during a pressurized cryogenic fuel test Thursday night, as footage uploaded by *NASASpaceFlight* shows. https://youtu.be/wFXQ5SRCy74 The stainless steel dome can be seen crumpling like a soda can before toppling over in a puff of vapor. "We will see what data review says in the morning, but this may have been a test configuration mistake," SpaceX CEO Elon Musk [tweeted]() early this morning. "Some valves leaked at cryo temp," he added. "Fixing & will retest soon." [According to *Space.com*](), the cryogenic pressure test was meant to test if the prototype was able to hold fuel at extremely low temperatures right before liftoff. Musk revealed that "SN3 passed ambient temperature pressure test last night" prior to collapsing during the next test. ## Another One SpaceX's SN1 prototype experienced a very similar fate, [collapsing]() during a pressure test on February 28. According to an [exclusive report by *Ars Technica*](), Musk was [pretty ticked off]() after SN1's demise. “We sent out a note to the team that this was badly designed, badly built, and badly checked,” he told *Ars Technica*. “That’s just a statement of fact.” This week's failed pressure test, however, doesn't seem to represent too much of a setback, as the company is already laser-focused on its next iteration, [SN4](). The news comes after SpaceX released an early version of a "[user's guide]()" to its Starship spacecraft, detailing how it could one day ferry up to 100 passengers or 100 tons of cargo to faraway destinations, including the Moon or even Mars. **READ MORE:** [SpaceX's Starship SN3 prototype collapses in pressure tank test]() \[*Space.com*\] **More on Starship:** *[Elon Musk Praises Video of Starship’s Arachnoid Landing Legs]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()