The first test involved filling the vehicle with nitrogen, usually in a two-step fashion. Initially, the vehicle will be filled with gaseous nitrogen – called the ambient test, ahead of being loaded with super-cold liquid nitrogen (LN2) for the cryo test.
This test sequence is expected early in the week, with preparations for testing already ongoing on Monday morning. By Monday evening, the ambient test had completed. However, the cryotesting element was still outstanding by the time the test window ended, pushing that event into Tuesday’s opportunity.
Providing all goes to plan with the proofing test, SN9 will be prepared for what is currently expected to be one Static Fire test involving all three Raptors. This is an expedited test schedule compared to SN8, which underwent several Static Fire tests ahead of launch.