Starship Prototype 24 was stacked on top of Super Heavy Booster Prototype 7 on January 9, 2023 at the company’s facility near Brownsville, Texas.
SpaceX
SpaceX announced Monday that it has completed a major test of its latest Starship prototype as the company prepares for the towering rocket’s first orbital launch.
Starship Prototype 24, stacked atop Super Heavy Booster Prototype 7, was refueled at SpaceX’s starbase facility in Texas in a test known as the “wet dress rehearsal.” While the test does not involve starting the rocket engines, it is typical practice during the development of a new liquid fuel vehicle to demonstrate that it can be safely filled prior to launch, as well as verifying the steps of a launch countdown.
“This was the first time an integrated ship and booster were fully loaded with more than 10 million pounds of propellant,” SpaceX said in a tweet.
Starship is a nearly 400-foot tall rocket designed to carry cargo and people beyond Earth. It’s also crucial to NASA’s plan to return astronauts to the moon, as SpaceX secured a nearly $3 billion contract from the agency in 2021.
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An orbital launch attempt by Starship marks the next step in flight testing for the rocket. It’s been almost two years since the company last conducted a Starship flight test, and late last year SpaceX shook leadership at its “Starbase” facility in Texas as the company pushes to move the next launch to the to bring away.
SpaceX still has several steps to take before Starship can next launch, including a planned test firing of all 33 engines at the base of the Super Heavy rocket booster. The company also requires a take-off license from the Federal Aviation Administration.
