Proclaimed as a “static fire,” the milestone test is the final and most crucial hurdle before SpaceX tries to launch the nearly 400-foot-tall rocket into space.
SpaceX on Thursday test fired 31 of the 33 engines in the gigantic rocket booster of its “the Starship” prototype as the organisation prepared to launch the rocket into orbit for the first time.
In addition, the company stated in a tweet shortly after the test that the engines at the base of the Super Heavy booster fired for “full duration,” which means to calculate the test’s expected duration.
CEO of SpaceX, Elon Musk said in a following tweet that, ‘SpaceX turned off one engine before the test and another engine “stopped itself.”’
“Still enough engines to reach orbit!” Musk stated.
On Wednesday, President and COO of SpaceX, Gwynne Shotwell, mentioned that “SpaceX has steadily been building up to the first flight test of its Starship rocket and stressed the first launch attempt would be experimental.”
What is a Starship?
The Starship was originally intended to carry cargo and people beyond Earth and is deprecatory to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) plan to return astronauts to the moon. SpaceX secured a nearly $3 billion worth of contract from the space agency in 2021.
While SpaceX had anticipated to organise the first orbital Starship launch as early as in summer 2021, it got delayed in progress and regulatory approval, which pushed back the timeline. Essentially, SpaceX needed a licence from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in order to launch the Starship.
Later, Shotwell said on Wednesday, “I think we’ll be ready to fly right at the timeframe that we get the license.”
The company will next scrutinise the result of Thursday’s “static fire” test. And Shotwell evaluated that a successful static fire test would only comply if SpaceX is ready to launch the first Starship orbital flight “within the next month or so.”
- Published By Team Genuine Reporter