Tag: Raptor
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SpaceX has a license to launch Starship—this time it might fly at dawn
The Federal Aviation Administration said Wednesday it has approved a commercial launch license for the third full-scale test flight of SpaceX’s giant Starship rocket. This is the final regulatory hurdle before SpaceX can launch Starship from South Texas. The third flight of the world’s most powerful rocket, following a pair of test launches last year,…
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Beidou-3 G4 gets launched and Chinese Raptor gets tested, as it receives its own name
One of China’s biggest rockets flew again this Wednesday. Chang Zheng 3B/E successfully launched the Beidou-3 G4 payload at 2:49 AM UTC. The launch was conducted from launch complex 2 of the China Xichang Satellite Launch Center (XSLC). This is already the third flight of the massive first-generation launcher. Beidou-3 G4 is a geostationary Earth…
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SpaceX test-fires 31 engines on Starship’s gigantic Super Heavy booster
EDITOR’S NOTE: Updated Feb. 10 with details. The Super Heavy booster fired 31 of its engines at 3:14 p.m. CST (4:14 p.m. EST; 2114 GMT) Thursday. Credit: SpaceX In a significant milestone preparing for liftoff of the world’s most powerful rocket, SpaceX test-fired 31 of the booster’s 33 methane-fueled engines Thursday in South Texas as the…
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Starship program conducts major test, firing 31 of 33 Super Heavy engines
SpaceX’s Starship program has reached a major milestone ahead of its historic launch with a static fire test of Booster 7, successfully firing 31 of the booster’s 33 engines for the full planned duration. The test aimed to validate numerous systems, not least the Ground Support Equipment (GSE), which has never previously had to cater…
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SpaceX ready for 33-engine test of Starship’s Super Heavy booster
The Super Heavy booster for SpaceX’s new Starship mega-rocket is powered by 33 methane-fueled Raptor engines, seen here in a file photo from last year. Credit: SpaceX SpaceX is gearing up for the first full-up test-firing Thursday of all 33 engines on the booster for the company’s Starship mega-rocket in Texas, a critical milestone on…
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Starship enters business end of pre-launch testing
The Starship test program has hit the ground running in 2023, with the full-stack partnership of Booster 7 and Ship 24 entering a pre-launch test flow at Starbase. With Elon Musk confirming the possibility of launching the world’s largest and most powerful rocket in a matter of weeks, several key milestones are being worked on…
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Booster 7 resumes static fire testing as SpaceX ramps up Starship production
Booster 7 resumed its static fire test campaign Monday with a full-duration firing of 14 Raptor engines in a significant event before the long-awaited 33-engine static fire test. This milestone puts the Super Heavy booster one step closer to being ready for Starship’s first orbital flight. While this flight is currently targeting no earlier than…
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Amid Starship milestones, Booster 7 set to return for pre-launch testing
SpaceX’s Starship program continues to march through a fluid set of milestones, ranging from a new record number of Raptor engines firing simultaneously, to the anticipated presence of a vehicle on the Starship pad at Florida’s historic LC-39A by the second quarter of 2023. Booster 7 achieved the seven-engine static fire test milestone before rolling…
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Starship undergoing full-stack cryoproofing while Florida ramps up
Preparations are underway for the next milestone for the Starship program, following the stacking of Ship 20 atop Booster 4. For the third time, the second using the Mechazilla chopstick system, Starbase has a full-stack at the Orbital Launch Site, this time setting up a cryoproofing test with both the Booster and Ship stacked together.…
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Methalox race likely to be won in 2022, but winner not yet clear
Right now, several methane-fueled rockets are in a race to orbit. With Starship from SpaceX, Vulcan from United Launch Alliance (ULA), and Neutron from Rocket Lab, all of the most active US launch providers are committed to using methalox-methane and oxygen. Upcoming launchers such as New Glenn from Blue Origin and the Terran family from…