SpaceX has performed a static fire test of the mighty Super Heavy booster ahead of the seventh test flight of the Starship rocket. Secured firmly to the ground, the rocket’s 33 Raptor engines fired for about 18 seconds before coming to a halt.
The Super Heavy booster, which forms the first stage of the Starship rocket, generates an incredible 17 million pounds of thrust at launch, making it the most powerful rocket ever to fly.
SpaceX shared footage (below) and images showing the static fire test, which took place at the company’s Starbase facility in Boca Chica, Texas, on Monday.
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Static fire of the Flight 7 Super Heavy booster pic.twitter.com/xqfykcq7QU
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) December 9, 2024
Once the results of the test have been fully analyzed and the rocket confirmed as good to go, SpaceX will place the upper-stage Starship spacecraft atop the Super Heavy in preparation for the seventh test flight, which recent reports have suggested could take place as early as January 11.
NASA has asked SpaceX to transport astronauts for the Artemis III moon mission, which is currently scheduled for mid-2027. The endeavor will use a modified version of the Starship spacecraft to put the first woman and first person of color on the lunar surface, and will also mark NASA’s first crewed visit to the moon since the last Apollo mission five decades ago.
SpaceX first flew the Starship rocket in April 2023, but an anomaly within minutes of launch prompted mission controllers to blow up the vehicle over the Gulf of Mexico. The following five test flights, the most recent of which took place last month, have seen significant performance improvements, providing SpaceX engineers with important data as they continue to prepare the rocket for its first lunar test flight ahead of the highly anticipated Artemis III mission.