SpaceX has taken another step toward the next launch of its Starship megarocket by conducting a static fire test with its latest Super Heavy booster, the 33-engine Starship first stage, on Friday, April 5, at its Starbase site in South Texas.
The milestone was announced in two Friday posts on X, which shared photos and a video of the energetic test. Static fires, in which a rocket’s engines are briefly ignited while the vehicle remains anchored to the ground, are common prelaunch tests. This particular Super Heavy is being prepped for the fourth-ever Starship launch, which is targeted for next month, according to SpaceX founder and CEO Elon Musk.
SpaceX has already performed static fires with the 165-foot-tall upper-stage spacecraft that will fly with this Super Heavy. Together, the duo will stand about 400 feet tall.
Starship’s three previous test flights occurred in April 2023, November 2023, and March 14 of this year.
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