Look: SpaceX photo reveals Starship passing its latest test

Fire! by Robin Bea Updated: Feb. 20, 2024 Originally Published: November 15, 2021 SpaceX

For the latest static fire test, the Starship spacecraft fired all six of its Raptor rockets while held in place on the ground. SpaceX

SpaceX SpaceX’s Starship isn’t ready for launch yet, but it’s one step closer after a test on November 12.

SpaceX On Twitter, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk reported : “Good static fire with all six engines!”

SpaceX It’s not the first static fire test for Starship, but previous SN20 tests have only fired two rockets at a time while previous prototypes have fired three.

SpaceX The reusable Starship is set to become SpaceX’s primary vehicle, powering all of its launches in the not-too-distant future.

It’s also a key part of NASA’s Artemis mission , which aims to return humans to the Moon by the mid-2020s. Starship HLS is the lunar lander variant of the SpaceX Starship. NASA

NASA chose SpaceX to build the Human Landing System for Artemis, which will pick up astronauts from the Orion capsule in orbit and ferry them to the lunar surface. NASA

SpaceX The latest Starship test is a positive sign for all these planned missions, though it’s far from the last hurdle.

The Starship system — which includes a Super Heavy booster along with the spacecraft — also needs to undergo orbital launch tests before being used. SpaceX

Shutterstock SpaceX originally intended to launch Starship’s orbital test by the end of 2021.

SpaceX While there hasn’t been an official postponement, an FAA environmental review could delay the process. NASA says it expects the test later, around March 2022 .

Look: SpaceX photo reveals Starship passing its latest test

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