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1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsElon Musk said Starship SN10’s landing engine was probably producing too little thrust because it ingested helium from the methane fuel header tank. The vehicle hit the pad at about 10 m/s, crushing its landing legs and part of its skirt. SN10 touched down, but it exploded minutes later.
What caused SN10 to explode?
Musk’s explanation linked the explosion to a chain of events: helium may have entered the engine feed and reduced landing thrust; the resulting hard touchdown damaged the vehicle; then, minutes after contact, SN10 was destroyed in an explosion. Musk described the helium ingestion as “probably” the cause, so this is his stated likely mechanism—not a publicly documented, regulator-certified root-cause finding.
In his March 9, 2021 post, Musk wrote: “SN10 engine was low on thrust due (probably) to partial helium ingestion from fuel header tank. Impact of 10m/s crushed legs & part of skirt. Multiple fixes in work for SN11.” Musk’s explanation
How could helium have affected the landing burn?
The fuel header tank supplies methane to the engines during the landing sequence. Musk said helium had been added to the header tank system to prevent ullage collapse caused by propellant sloshing—a problem encountered on an earlier flight. In his account, some helium may instead have reached the engine feed, lowering thrust when SN10 needed it to slow down.
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Musk acknowledged the design choice in a follow-up post: “Helium in header was used to prevent ullage collapse from slosh, which happened in prior flight. My fault for approving. Sounded good at the time.” He also responded to a suggestion about autogenous pressurization: “Fair point. If autogenous pressurization had been used, CH4 bubbles would most likely have reverted to liquid.” Musk’s follow-up comments
Did SN10 land successfully?
SN10 did touch down, so it was not destroyed at the instant of impact. But the landing was not a clean, undamaged recovery: Musk put the impact speed at about 10 m/s and said it crushed the legs and part of the skirt. The vehicle initially appeared to have landed, then exploded a few minutes afterward. Next Spaceflight’s SN10 test summary and an AIAA account describe the touchdown and subsequent loss.
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What was SN10 testing?
SN10 was a three-Raptor Starship prototype, not an operational passenger vehicle. On March 3, 2021, it flew a suborbital test to about 10 kilometers from Boca Chica, Texas, before descending to the landing attempt. The test demonstrated that the prototype could make the flight and reach the pad, while the hard touchdown and later explosion showed that a touchdown alone did not mean the vehicle had completed a successful, intact recovery. Next Spaceflight
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