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SpaceX launched the Super Heavy booster for its Starship rocket for the first time on Monday.
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The Super Heavy test brings SpaceX one small step closer to the arrival of humans on Mars in Starship.
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“Full 3 Raptor Shooting Test on Super Heavy Booster!” SpaceX CEO Elon Musk tweeted.
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SpaceX launched its Super Heavy rocket thruster for the first time on Monday, bringing the company closer to launching its spacecraft to Mars.
Starship, SpaceX’s mega-rocket system, is made up of two parts – a ship and a Super Heavy booster, designed to put the craft into orbit.
This Super Heavy prototype, also known as Booster 3, is one of the biggest rocket boosters in the world.
A video posted by the South Padre Island tourist information site showed that the 23-story Super Heavy fired three raptor engines for the first time on Monday. The booster remained motionless.
The static fire test took place at SpaceX’s Starbase facility in South Texas, not far from Boca Chica and Brownsville.
“Full 3 Raptor Shooting Test on Super Heavy Booster!” Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX tweeted. He mentionned that SpaceX might later try to fire nine engines on Booster 3, depending on progress with Booster 4.
Super Heavy’s static fire test brings SpaceX one step closer to its ultimate goal of bringing humans to Mars and beyond.
The company successfully launched and landed the latest prototype of its 16-story spacecraft, the SN15, in May. The 160-story Starship rocket will rest on the Super Heavy booster before the entire spacecraft goes into orbit.
SpaceX has not set a date for Starship’s first orbital mission. SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell said the company is “running for July.” The Federal Aviation Administration has yet to approve the orbital launch or the launch tower that supports Starship.
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