Testing is critical to growth

Watch as Plasmos completes a successful hot fire test of its engine on their second attempt. It's a running theme here at Credo; testing often in order to learn quickly and iterate. SpaceX has deployed this model successfully, and now startups like Plasmos are adopting the ethos in order to move faster through product development.

As you can tell by the backdrop and rudimentary setup, Plasmos is taking a very scrappy approach towards testing. It's rare to get this type of access at such an early stage of development. We think it's really cool that Plasmos is truly building in public and giving people a close up look into how a 21st Century rocket company is built.

Big Bang

For someone who has never been part of a rocket engine testing, I wasn't sure what to expect. I arrived at the testing site, a large boat yard an hour outside of Los Angeles, in the late afternoon of August 2nd. Ali and a few members of his team were stacking cement cinder blocks in an effort to create a makeshift test stand for his rocket.

After everything was connected and rigged up, it was go time. The small crowd that began to gather- it's not difficult to find a crowd for any type of rocket launch- were moved to a safe distance and Ali took center stage.

What followed was a loud bang followed by the unmistakable hum of an engine that has come to life. The 2nd hot fire test for Plasmos was a success.

Onward

The successful test means that Ali and Plasmos now move to the next stage of iteration. Many more tests will follow and not all will be successful. But what's impressive is that in a year's time Plasmos has gone from concept to a live test-firing.

It's a testament to Ali, the team, and 21st century advancements like additive manufacturing.

The road is still long, and the journey has only begun, but progress is surely being made.