After months of anticipation, Space Exploration Technologies Corporation (SpaceX) conducted the first static fire test of 31 Raptor engines on its Starship Super Heavy booster. SpaceX is developing the rocket in Boca Chica, Texas, and the test set a new record for the most engines tested on a rocket. An operational Starship launch is designed to generate 17 million pounds of thrust, and it is unclear if that goal was met in today’s test. SpaceX conducted the engine firing after its president and chief operating officer, Ms. Gwynne Shotwell, surprised listeners at a conference in Washington D.C. yesterday. With the test a success, SpaceX has now met all big goals before the highly awaited Starship orbital test flight.
SpaceX Test Fires 31 Raptor Engines For Close To Six Seconds
The SpaceX executive’s announcement at the FAA conference yesterday was accompanied by a beach closure notice in Cameroon County, Boca Chica, located close to its test stand. These closures are generally the best signals of test activity, and they have been in effect and canceled throughout this month – hinting that the pace is finally picking up in Starship development. Today’s closure occurred at 8 am local time and is scheduled to end 12 hours later.
The hot fire test started at 3:13 pm local time and lasted for almost six seconds. SpaceX began loading the rocket with its liquid oxygen and methane propellants close to an hour before launch. Before that, the company spent quite some time purging the feeder lines of contamination. Footage from dedicated onlookers showed the 230 feet tall Super Heavy booster slowly starting to frost up as the super cold propellants filled up its tanks. However, in SpaceX’s official live feed, the test actually started fourteen seconds before the countdown ended – in a rather surprising development.
The SpaceX Starship and Super Heavy booster stacked at Boca Chica, Texas in January 2023. Image: SpaceX
The test took place without the second stage Starship placed on top of the booster since it was intended to test if the complex plumbing system of the 33 engines would withstand the pressures and acoustic environment of a launch. However, the test saw the firm test ‘only’ 31 engines, as one engine stopped itself and another was turned off. Yet, according to SpaceX’s chief Mr. Elon Musk, these are sufficient to send the rocket to orbit. Surprisingly, SpaceX chose to conduct the test without the water deluge system below the rocket, taking its chances with any potential damage to the surface below. Such tests generally have water flowing below them to contain the massive heat and noise generated by the engines.
Moments before the static fire test, Mr. Musk also joined in the excitement as he confirmed that the company is conducting the 33 engine static fire test. Musk and Shotwell hinted that the first Starship orbital launch can occur in March. The latter’s comments yesterday were telling as they also indicated that SpaceX is also moving in tune with the FAA for the important launch license necessary for the flight.
SpaceX has big plans for Starship, and the scale of the rocket ensures that today’s test set at least one record. This is for the number of rocket engines fired up simultaneously – a record previously held by the Soviet Union’s N1 rocket. The N1 was capable of generating 10.1 million pounds of thrust with 30 center engines. Since Starship Super Heavy is designed to churn out 17 million pounds, it will have had to power up all the engines at least 60% to become the most powerful rocket fired in human history.
The rocket is responsible for landing NASA’s astronauts on the Moon and conducting large-scale missions to Mars, which is a big reason behind its scale. SpaceX has designed the rocket to lift up to 250 tons of payload depending on the intended orbit and whether the rocket will be reused. Starship will also be the first rocket in human history to see its second stage land. It is another crucial part of its design that aims to further decrease marginal launch costs over the currently operational Falcon 9 rocket.
You can watch the replay of the world record rocket test from SpaceX right here.
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