Falcon Heavy has 27 engines, and all Falcon Heavies have worked with no problems. Of course, Falcon 9 with 9 engine cluster, was perfected first before they built Falcon Heavy. 33 engines is only 6 engines less. All 33 worked on the second test, through the stage separation. If the upper stage (Starship) had made it to orbit, it would still have been successful. Something happened right after the boost back burn on the booster. If a rocket gets off course, the FAA requires them to blow it up. So something in the guidance messed up during the boost back. Don't know what happened to the upper stage as it was only about 2 minutes to orbit. It too could have gotten off course.
The Russian N-1 failed because they didn't have computer controlled engines to gimble them. On Russia's rocket, if one engine on one side went out, it shut off one on the opposite side to keep the thrust balanced. They could not gimble. This happened to shut down too many engines on all 3 of their tries and they never made it to stage separation. So they had to blow them all up. They gave up because we already made it to the moon by then. All the center engines on the SpaceX's booster can gimble (13) for guidance. Then they have the grid fins to use on the way back, as well as cold gas thrusters. Musk even said it may take 5-6 launches to perfect this big beast. Remember, all 33 burned and worked throughout the launch and through the hot stage separation. That was a success. After their tumble and boost back, they had to blow it up. Like I said, upper stage, don't know what happened.
Also remember these new rockets are built with stainless steel plate made in Alabama. The engines are built using 3D printing mostly. Musk said the total cost for one of these Rockets is $200 million and when the bugs are worked out, can deliver 150 tons to orbit, and will be fully reusable. NASA's big new rocket, the SLS costs $4 billion each, delivers 94 tons to orbit, and can only be used one time. They can only afford to launch one per year. NASA has already contracted with SpaceX for one of these big rockets to land on the moon with 100 tons of supplies and a 4 man crew. They have a vested interest in this rocket.
Also, I like Trump, but Trump is wrong about SpaceX being subsidized, they won contracts with NASA. Contracts against Boeing and Lockheed. Trump is right about the electric cars though. The Feds subsidize electric cars, but they do so with all electric car makers, not just Tesla. Since Trump won in 2016, SpaceX has launched over 250 successful rockets to orbit, and landed over 200. They are reusing most of their rockets now. They launch about 75-80% of all the worlds satellites and tonnage to orbit. They are the world's largest satellite operator with over 5,000 Starlink satellites in orbit. SpaceX's president Gwen Shotwell runs the company on a day to day basis. Musk helped develop the Raptor rocket engine that the new rocket uses. It is the most efficient rocket engine ever built. His other Merlin engine on the Falcon 9 is also the most efficient kerosene rocket engine ever built. The Raptor burns methane, (liquid natural gas), so it won't soot up like the Falcon 9's engines.
