SpaceX is getting closer to launching its next-generation Starship vehicle to orbit for the second time, after successfully performing a static-fire test of its upper-stage prototype, Starship SN25, on June 26, 2023.
A static-fire test is a common prelaunch procedure that involves igniting the rocket’s engines briefly while the vehicle is secured to the ground. This allows the engineers to check the performance and health of the engines and other systems before an actual launch.
Starship SN25 is the latest iteration of SpaceX’s ambitious Starship project, which aims to develop a fully reusable launch system capable of carrying humans and cargo to the moon, Mars and beyond. Starship consists of two stages: a massive booster called Super Heavy, powered by 33 Raptor engines, and an upper stage called Starship, powered by six Raptor engines.
The static-fire test took place at SpaceX’s Starbase facility in Boca Chica, Texas, at 8:27 p.m. EDT (0027 GMT on June 27). SpaceX lit all six of Starship SN25’s Raptor engines for about five seconds, generating a plume of smoke and fire around the vehicle. The test appeared to be successful, as no anomalies or damage were observed.
SpaceX founder and CEO Elon Musk tweeted shortly after the test that one engine was turned off just before the test and another stopped itself during the test, but that there were still enough engines to reach orbit. He also shared a video of the test taken from a drone.
The static-fire test was one of the final major milestones for Starship SN25 before its orbital launch attempt, which could happen as soon as July or August, according to SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell. She announced the scheduled test at the Federal Aviation Administration’s Commercial Space Transportation Conference on Feb. 8, 2023.
“It’s really the final ground test that we can do before we light ’em up and go,” Shotwell said.
The orbital launch will be the second-ever mission of a fully stacked Starship, following the debut flight that occurred on April 20, 2023. On that flight, a Super Heavy booster called Booster 9 lifted off from Starbase with a Starship upper stage called Ship 24 on top. The mission aimed to do a partial circuit around Earth, with Ship 24 splashing down in the Pacific Ocean near Hawaii.
However, the flight encountered several problems, such as the failure of the two stages to separate as planned and a communication issue with Ship 24. SpaceX sent a self-destruct command to terminate the flight a few minutes after liftoff.
SpaceX hopes to avoid such issues on the next flight, which will use Booster 10 and Ship 25. The company has made several improvements to both stages, such as adding more heat shield tiles to protect them from reentry heating and upgrading their avionics and software.
Starship is not only crucial for SpaceX’s vision of making humanity a multiplanetary species, but also for NASA’s plans to return humans to the moon. NASA selected Starship as the first crewed lander for its Artemis program, which aims to land two astronauts near the lunar south pole by 2026.
SpaceX plans to conduct several uncrewed Starship flights to the moon before sending humans there. The company also intends to use Starship for launching its own satellites, such as its Starlink internet constellation, as well as payloads for other customers.
Starship is designed to be fully and rapidly reusable, which could lower the cost and increase the frequency of space launches. The vehicle stands 394 feet (120 meters) tall when fully stacked and can carry more than 100 metric tons of payload to low Earth orbit. The Super Heavy booster generates about 16.7 million pounds of thrust at liftoff, nearly twice as much as NASA’s Space Launch System megarocket.
