SpaceX
Watch SpaceX Starship 6 performing six engine static fire
In the evening, SpaceX conducted a static fire test for Starship 6 and shared videos for this next flight test directly from Starbase.
Starship is the upper stage of integrated flight, which also includes a super heavy booster (first stage). It is 50 meters tall and 9 meters wide. It is designed to carry large payloads to orbit and beyond with a capacity between 100 to 150 tons.
It equips six Raptor engines (including Raptor vacuum) to provide thrust and lead the mission in space. The static fire tests the engine functionalities, components, and propellant management to find issues before the final launch schedule.
Meanwhile, Starship 5 is ready to launch but its license is under review by Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and it may not fly until November this year.
SpaceX has speculated this test to happen in September but now, it could 2 more months to perform this liftoff.
Starship 5 aims to achieve the first-ever super heavy booster landing on the launch tower using tower arms, which will close right after the landing burn.
The company has also improved the spacecraft’s design to endure the atmospheric re-entry with Flight 5. Watch the SpaceX Starship Flight 6 static-fire test videos linked below.
Six engine static fire of Flight 6 Starship pic.twitter.com/fzJz9BWBn6
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) September 19, 2024
