SpaceX has conducted a long static fire test with the upper stage of the Starship launch vehicle at its Starbase in South Texas, USA. Company specialists ignited all six engines during the test, which lasted about 60 seconds, UNN writes with reference to Space.com.
Details
This was the third static launch of this particular spacecraft, which is "undergoing final preparations for its ninth flight test," according to a SpaceX post on X, which featured video and photos of the tests.
The company has not yet announced a target date for the ninth flight, but it could happen in the next few weeks. SpaceX has already conducted static fire tests of the first stage of the launch vehicle, which will be launched during the mission.
Starship, which is 123 meters tall in its fully assembled form, is the largest and most powerful rocket ever built. Both of its elements - the Super Heavy booster and the Starship upper stage are designed for full and rapid reusability.
Elon Musk's SpaceX base becomes a new city in Texas04.05.25, 08:27 • [views_6910]
SpaceX believes that the combination of Starship's power and reusability will finally make the colonization of Mars - the long-standing dream of company founder Elon Musk - economically feasible.
Both flights in 2025, which launched in January and March respectively, had similar results. Super Heavy performed well and returned to Starbase to be successfully hooked by the launch tower's levers. But the Starship upper stage had problems in both cases, exploding less than 10 minutes after the start of the flight.
The long static ignition of Starship, which took place on Monday, seemed to go well, but it will soon become clear whether SpaceX has really solved the problems with the large upper stage.
Addition
SpaceX on Tuesday received key US regulatory approval to increase the annual number of Starship rocket launches from Texas and landings of launch vehicles in various bodies of water, allowing Elon Musk's space company to significantly expand the development of its giant rocket for flight to Mars.