SpaceX has just fired up the engines of its Starship spacecraft in preparation for the ninth test flight of the most powerful rocket ever to get off the ground.
The spaceflight company shared a 60-second clip (below) of the spacecraft’s six Raptor engines blasting at full power during a static test at SpaceX’s Starbase facility in Boca Chica, Texas, on Tuesday. It also included three images captured during the test.
SpaceX has yet to announce a date for the ninth flight of the Starship rocket, which comprises the first-stage Super Heavy booster and the upper-stage Starship spacecraft. However, Tuesday’s testing of the spacecraft engines suggests that the flight could take place before the end of this month.
The upcoming flight will see the first reuse of a Super Heavy booster, which will help SpaceX save on mission costs as it aims to ramp up Starship flights to as many as one every two weeks as the year progresses. To enable reuse, SpaceX has developed a system that uses large mechanical arms on the launch tower to secure the first-stage booster as it returns to Earth minutes after deploying the spacecraft to orbit.
During the test, the plan is for the Super Heavy to deploy the Starship to orbit. After a short flight, the spacecraft will make a controlled landing in the Indian Ocean — using those Raptor engines.
NASA wants to use the Starship rocket for crew and cargo flights to the moon as part of its Artemis program. First up, it plans to use a modified version of the spacecraft to put two astronauts on the lunar surface in the Artemis III mission, currently set for 2027. The endeavor will mark NASA’s first crewed lunar landing since 1972.
Looking further ahead, SpaceX chief Elon Musk is keen to use the Starship for the first-ever crewed mission to Mars, which could take place in the 2030s.
But before then, the Super Heavy and Starship need to undergo more testing and refinement.
While the Starship’s performance is clearly improving when compared to its first couple of flights in 2023, SpaceX has some real concerns after losing the Starship spacecraft in the seventh and eighth tests due to technical issues.
With the clock ticking, the pressure is on SpaceX to make the ninth flight its most successful yet.