SpaceX's SN20 Starship Prototype Undergoes Static Fire Tests

Isabella James, Tech Times 22 October 2021, 02:10 am

SpaceX's SN20 Starship prototype has undergone its first static fire tests Thursday evening. The tests are done in preparation for an orbital test flight.

The main purpose that the SN20 Starship aims to serve is able to take both humans and cargo to places such as the moon and Mars. Once final, the Starship spacecraft will be outfitted with six Raptor engines.

SpaceX has yet to decide on an exact date for the Starship's orbital test flight. An environmental assessment is currently being done on the Starship's launch site. The draft of the assessment has been released, and the public has been invited to comment on it.

SpaceX's SN20 Starship Undergoes Static Fire Tests

First firing of a Raptor vacuum engine integrated onto a Starship pic.twitter.com/uCNAt8Kwzo
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) October 22, 2021

SpaceX's SN20 Starship prototype has undergone its first two static fire tests, according to a report by Space. The tests were conducted as Elon Musk's space company prepared for an orbital test flight for the Starship.

According to Space, the first static fire test took place Thursday at 8:16 pm EDT. The second fire test happened an hour later. Both tests were conducted at SpaceX's Starbase facility in Texas.

SpaceX has shared a video of one of the static fire tests on its official Twitter account.

Per the Space report, the first static fire test involved just one of the two Raptor engines that the Starship is currently outfitted with.

The Starship Spacecraft

(Photo : Loren Elliott/Getty Images)

According to the Space report, the Starship is being developed "to take people and cargo to the moon, Mars and other distant destinations."

The Starship will have two elements, the main Starship spacecraft and a first-stage booster known as the Super Heavy. Per the space report, both elements are reusable and will be powered by Raptor engines.

The final Starship spacecraft will have six Raptor engines, while the Super Heavy will have a total of 29.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has already picked the Starship "as the first crewed lunar landing system for its Artemis moon program," the Space report adds.

The first goal of the Artemis Program is to bring humans back to the moon. Using whatever will be learned from that mission, NASA will try to figure out how to bring astronauts to Mars.

Countries like the United States, United Kingdom, Japan, Canada, and Brazil have already signed on and are supporting NASA's Artemis Program.

When Will the Orbital Test Flight Be?

As of press time, there is no scheduled date yet for the Starship's orbital test flight. The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is still in the midst of conducting an environmental assessment of SpaceX's launch site for the Starship, which is known as the Starbase.

A draft of the environmental assessment is now available, and the FAA has invited the public to comment on it until November 1.

Also Read: SpaceX NASA Artemis Moon Mission: HLS Starship Lander to Bring Humans Since Apollo in $2.89B Contract

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Written by Isabella James