BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. — SpaceX reached a major milestone in the development of its Starship and Super Heavy rocket on Thursday.
The company fired up all but two of the 33 raptor engines that sit at the base of the Starship’s rocket booster in Boca Chica, Texas. That made for a successful static fire test that will help clear the way for an orbital launch attempt.
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The company also completed a wet dress rehearsal with its Starship prototype last month.
SpaceX is hoping to launch its prototype as soon as next month.
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Research and development is happening in Texas, but, eventually, Starship is expected to lift off from the Space Coast.
“NASA’s Artemis mission depends on this rocket, this rocket will land our astronauts on the moon, literally, and bring it back home safely … this is the future lunar lander,” Siad Dr. Ken Kremer with Space Upclose. “NASA has been waiting for this test fire as well as everybody else.”
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