Elon Musk just revealed Starship all 33 engines firing date after B7’s 7 engines Static Fire…
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“As long as one is not breaking the laws of physics, it can be done”
Yeah, we’ve been waiting for so long and finally, that day has come.
Elon Musk just revealed Starship all 33 engines firing test date after B7’s 7 engines Static Fire.
We are really getting closer to an all-up static firing of Starship’s massive first-stage booster.
Let’s find out everything about this in today’s episode of Alpha Tech:
On September 19, SpaceX continued testing its Super Heavy Booster 7 stainless-steel vehicle. Its engines were fueled with cryogenic liquid methane (CH4) and liquid oxygen (LOX). Only 7 Raptor V2 engines out of 33 were ignited on Monday afternoon. However, this is a great milestone because it is the first time ever they ignite seven engines simultaneously, resulting in a fireball on the pad. During Booster 7’s previous static-fire test on August 31st, only 3 engines were ignited. “Chamber pressure looked good on all 7 engines,” shared Musk via Twitter soon after the test.
Now, let’s enjoy that amazing sound:
Can you notice that: 7 seconds, 7 engines, booster 7 coincidence? I think not.
It is “Great for clearing dust!”, Musk tweeted.
Yes, that was really crazy and that was still less than 1/4th of total engines. So excited to see all 33 light up.
But when?
When asked about when SpaceX will perform a static-fire test of all 33 Raptor V2 engines simultaneously, Musk said the rocket will now undergo more preparations at the Starbase factory. “Booster 7 now returns to high bay for robustness upgrades & booster 8 moves to pad for testing,” said Musk, “Next big test is probably full stack wet dress rehearsal, then 33 engine firing in a few weeks.”
Adding that the company’s next big Starship system test will be a “full stack wet dress rehearsal, then 33 engine firing in a few weeks.”
So, SpaceX is probably aiming for October for this historic test.
To “full stack” the vehicles, the Starbase launch tower’s robotic arms will lift Starship SN24 atop the Super Heavy Booster 7 to perform pre-flight testing. When stacked the vehicle is 395 feet tall – the largest rocket ever manufactured!
For 33 engine firing, while the V2 design significantly simplifies Raptor’s design to make it easier to build, install, and operate, it also substantially boosts maximum thrust from around 185 tons (~410,000 lbf) to at least 230 tons (~510,000 lbf). In theory, Booster 7 could theoretically produce at least 40% more thrust than Booster 4. B4, however, has yet to attempt a single static fire.
In other compare, with an estimated 17 million pounds of thrust, SpaceX’s Super Heavy is expected to produce more than twice the thrust of SLS, if the development goes as planned.
Elon Musk just revealed Starship all 33 engines firing date after B7’s 7 engines Static Fire…
