There are claims regarding an upcoming static fire test for SpaceX's Starship assembly, both the top ship and the Super Heavy Booster, in the coming days. Starship's static test will fire all 33 Raptor engines beneath the Super Heavy, and this would be the first time that the public would see a fully-loaded rocket blast with its entire might.
Additionally, SpaceX is already preparing for this event to take place, and there are certain local restrictions and road closures that are in place for the upcoming event.
SpaceX to Test All 33 Engines of the Starship
(Photo : Elon Musk via Twitter)
The Information first reported that there is a planned static fire test for SpaceX's fully-stacked rockets coming this January 20. It said that the Super Heavy's entire collection of rockets from its underside, all 33 Raptor engines, will be ignited by the company on Friday, and test it in place, with the Mechazilla holding it from propelling from the ground.
Texas' Cameron County officials have also released a statement regarding road closures on State Highway 4 and the Boca Chica beach. However, it is somewhat confusing as the county's release said that the road closure by its primary date, January 20, is now canceled.
Still, there is a primary date by Monday, January 23, and an alternative one for Tuesday, January 24 for another possible road closure.
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SpaceX Preparing for Starship's Missions
This new information from reports and the county indicates that there is a massive possibility of a test launch happening sooner or later for SpaceX. Furthermore, SpaceX is allegedly preparing for the upcoming launch tests of the Starship spacecraft, especially as it has many lined-up missions for its future, centering on the Mars visit.
Full-Stack Static Fire Test
Static fire tests are something that has been done by SpaceX for many times now, and it is to ensure that all of its systems are working, especially for experimental spacecraft like the Starship. Last August saw the successful firing of Super Heavy's Booster 7, and this is an engine that the company focused on as it exploded before in a previous test.
There have been significant plans from SpaceX regarding the orbital launch of the Starship's full-stack, with the famous pointy ship placed on top of its first-stage rocket.
The company initially planned for a 2022 launch of the Starship to orbit, but after run-ins with the FAA and unsuccessful firing attempts, it is now in place for 2023.
Elon Musk has talked about the supposed orbital launch of the Starship by late February, but the surest timeline for this would be by early March. Now, leading up to this orbital launch, another static fire test will take place on its Boca Chica facility, focusing on all 33 Raptor engines to blast in place and test all systems before the actual one.
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