[testing22321]

If they had a 1/4 scale test platform, they wouldn’t be testing what they need to learn.

They wouldn’t be testing how to transport, generate, store, load and offload massive quantities of liquid oxygen and methane quickly and reliably.

They wouldn’t be testing the simultaneous ignition of 33 engines, the massive fuel demands of that (which appears to be very difficult), and blasting the pad with 33 engines.

They wouldn’t be testing the structural loads and stresses of max Q of such a massive vehicle.

They wouldn’t be testing tank slosh and pressure issues of massive tanks.

They wouldn’t be testing the heat loads on the shield with huge mass.

All the manufacturing too would be learning how to do things on such a large scale.

In short, they simply wouldn’t be learning the lessons they need to learn to make this work.