[hgoel]

High profile failures that take out launch infrastructure are undesirable because the cost to that is much much higher than just losing the rocket. It means having all of your R&D and production pipelines stalled for at least months, usually years, while the rest of that fiercely ambitious industry races ahead.

This was routine pre-launch testing, not a launch attempt.

[superxpro12]

My understanding is that a static fire test is not much different than a launch attempt? The tanks are fully loaded. The engines are throttling up to full.

In terms of application its the same amount of energy going into the rocket in either case.

[hgoel]

What I was trying to imply is that it wasn't R&D. That it was routine testing, verifying that your machine is working fine.

Static fires put more stress on the rocket than an actual launch because the rocket is stuck on the ground, receiving all the shockwaves. They also cause more damage to the launch infrastructure.

[chainingsolid]

They might purposely NOT fully fuel one of the 2 tanks, in case this happens...