SpaceX has confirmed it will attempt to perform a 33-engine Super Heavy static fire on Thursday, February 9, 2023.
That’s according to SpaceX president Gwynn Shotwell, speaking at the FAA Commercial Space Transportation conference on Wednesday, as reported by Jeff Foust of SpaceNews.
Super Heavy is part of the Starship transportation system designed to head to the Moon, Mars and beyond. Super Heavy is a booster that has 33 Raptor engines, that has the company’s Starship spacecraft atop it.
Starship will be able to carry up to 150 metric tonnes to Earth orbit while being reusable, or up to 250 metric tonnes with an expendable booster, says SpaceX.
The Super Heavy static fire is just the next step in SpaceX’s goal towards the first orbital flight of Starship, which CEO Elon Musk said could happen in March.
SpaceX still needs FAA approval to launch Starship, but the static fire is seen as one of the next crucial steps. Last month, SpaceX performed a ‘wet dress rehearsal’ for its Starship system, fully loading the booster and rocket with launch fuel.
The company plans to build five fully-stacked Starships in 2023, says Musk.
Check out the video below from NASASpaceflight for a live look at Starship. It will be interesting to see if the prep of the launch pad by SpaceX will survive the 33-engine static fire:
On Monday, SpaceX launched the Hispasat Amazonas Nexus mission from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.
