SpaceX has released breathtaking imagery showcasing a successful static fire test of the Super Heavy booster, marking a significant milestone in the preparation for the Starship vehicle’s upcoming fifth test flight. The test, captured in three captivating videos, involved firing up the booster’s Raptor engines while it was firmly anchored to the ground. SpaceX also shared multiple photographs of this crucial event.
The towering 120-meter-tall Starship, comprised of the first-stage Super Heavy booster and the upper-stage Starship spacecraft, is widely recognized as the most powerful rocket on Earth. Its intended purpose is to ferry both crew and cargo to the moon, Mars, and potentially even farther into the vast expanse of space. The rocket is projected to take flight again next month, with Monday’s engine test a key component of the preparations for this anticipated mission.
With a colossal thrust of 17 million pounds at launch – nearly double that of NASA’s new Space Launch System rocket – the Starship presents an awe-inspiring spectacle as it ascends skyward from SpaceX’s Starbase facility in Boca Chica, Texas.
The Starship’s inaugural test flight occurred in April of last year, but an anomaly shortly after launch compelled controllers to initiate a controlled destruction of the rocket over the Gulf of Mexico. The second test encountered a similar fate, though it did make some progress as the spacecraft managed to successfully separate from the booster. The third and fourth tests, with the latter taking place in June, demonstrated dramatic improvements in the flight system, with the missions achieving the majority of their objectives.
The fifth test flight, which SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has indicated could take place in August, will introduce a novel landing procedure where the Super Heavy booster is captured by massive mechanical arms mounted on the launch tower. SpaceX has already perfected the landing procedure for its reliable Falcon 9 rocket, but that vehicle is significantly smaller and uses landing legs to touch down on the ground. The Super Heavy, conversely, lacks landing legs and will require the launch tower to secure it upon its return.
This method of bringing the Super Heavy home will allow SpaceX to reuse all of the Super Heavy boosters they produce, enabling them to drastically reduce launch costs. Static fires play a vital role in mission preparations, ensuring that the rocket engines perform as intended. While these tests are generally successful, unforeseen circumstances can arise, as demonstrated by a recent incident in China where a rocket climbed high into the sky before crashing, despite the expectation that it would remain on the ground.
