The company performed a static test fire of the Super Heavy booster slated for Starship's 11th launch. Secured to the launch stand at SpaceX's Starbase manufacturing and test facility in Texas, the booster, B15, fired its 33 Raptor engines for about 10 seconds Sunday, Sept. 7, which was posted in videos on SpaceX's profile on X.
The test comes less than two weeks after Starship's Flight Test 10, which, for the first time, completed each of its objectives in a major win for SpaceX as they develop the rocket for operational missions.
Boosters are typically test fired in the days and weeks leading up to launches, and are part of final assessments to ensure vehicle safety ahead of liftoff. This test signals a quick turnaround for SpaceX as it prepares Starship for Flight Test 11.
SpaceX sought a similar cadence before Flight 10, but mishaps during Starship's upper stage testing for Ship 36 caused an explosion on the test stand during cryogenic fueling. The delay bumped Ship 37 up in the line, slating it to fly Starship's most successful flight to date.
Flight 10 lifted off from Starbase on Aug. 26. The stacked vehicle executed a successful hot-stage separation between Super Heavy and Ship, resulting in the booster's soft splashdown, and Ship's orbital insertion, payload deployment, atmospheric reentry and soft splashdown of its own in the Indian Ocean.
Flight 10's achievements were a significant step forward for the stalled program, and this weekend's B15 Super Heavy static fire engine test puts SpaceX on an pace to possibly launch Starship Flight Test 11 before the end of the month.
Source: www.space.com
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