{"id":23542,"date":"2026-04-17T00:07:56","date_gmt":"2026-04-16T16:07:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-productionenv-bjg9h2g2bgg5b8aa.southeastasia-01.azurewebsites.net\/news\/ship-39-and-booster-19-both-complete-full-engine-static-fires\/"},"modified":"2026-07-21T11:01:43","modified_gmt":"2026-07-21T03:01:43","slug":"ship-39-and-booster-19-both-complete-full-engine-static-fires","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/news\/ship-39-and-booster-19-both-complete-full-engine-static-fires\/","title":{"rendered":"Ship 39 and Booster 19 Both Complete Full Engine Static Fires"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Following the successful return of Orion, attention for the Artemis program has now shifted to SpaceX and Blue Origin to prepare a crewed lander in time for Artemis III.<\/p>\n<p>For SpaceX, this means getting Starship Block 3 flying and fully operational so that teams can begin building and launching the Human Landing System (HLS) variant. To that end both Ship 39 and Booster 19 \u2013 the first Block 3 stack \u2013 have since rolled out and completed a full engine static fire, at Masseys and at Pad 2.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p><iframe title=\"Ship and Booster fire up ahead of Starship Flight 12 | SpaceX Starbase\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/UkmhtBcWt58?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen=\"\" name=\"fitvid0\" data-gtm-yt-inspected-14=\"true\" data-gtm-yt-inspected-21=\"true\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Booster 19\n<\/p>\n<p>Booster 19 has once again rolled out to Pad 2 for additional engine testing following the completion of a set of tests in mid-March.<\/p>\n<p>Booster 19 spent 10 days at the launch site and underwent several tests to activate Pad 2 and test the booster itself.<\/p>\n<p>During the testing campaign, SpaceX mounted and demounted the booster twice to refine the booster and pad-stacking systems. In addition, crews conducted several pressure tests and four tanking tests, three of which involved engine firings.<\/p>\n<p>NASA mission updates<path d=\"M7.59009 18.59L9.00009 20L17.0001 12L9.00009 4L7.59009 5.41L14.1701 12\" style=\"animation: initial !important; background: initial !important; border: 0px !important; box-shadow: none !important; color: inherit !important; cursor: inherit !important; direction: inherit !important; display: inline !important; fill: currentcolor !important; filter: initial !important; float: none !important; margin: 0px !important; opacity: initial !important; outline: 0px !important; overflow: initial !important; padding: 0px !important; stroke: initial !important; transform: initial !important; vertical-align: initial !important; visibility: inherit !important;\"><\/path>Space Shuttle<path d=\"M7.59009 18.59L9.00009 20L17.0001 12L9.00009 4L7.59009 5.41L14.1701 12\" style=\"animation: initial !important; background: initial !important; border: 0px !important; box-shadow: none !important; color: inherit !important; cursor: inherit !important; direction: inherit !important; display: inline !important; fill: currentcolor !important; filter: initial !important; float: none !important; margin: 0px !important; opacity: initial !important; outline: 0px !important; overflow: initial !important; padding: 0px !important; stroke: initial !important; transform: initial !important; vertical-align: initial !important; visibility: inherit !important;\"><\/path>NASA mission patches<path d=\"M7.59009 18.59L9.00009 20L17.0001 12L9.00009 4L7.59009 5.41L14.1701 12\" style=\"animation: initial !important; background: initial !important; border: 0px !important; box-shadow: none !important; color: inherit !important; cursor: inherit !important; direction: inherit !important; display: inline !important; fill: currentcolor !important; filter: initial !important; float: none !important; margin: 0px !important; opacity: initial !important; outline: 0px !important; overflow: initial !important; padding: 0px !important; stroke: initial !important; transform: initial !important; vertical-align: initial !important; visibility: inherit !important;\"><\/path>\n<p>     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});<\/p>\n<p>To begin with, SpaceX needed to test the new stacking systems for both the booster and the launch pad. Previously, crews had to attach a pair of stabilizers to keep the booster properly aligned \u2014 not only with the transport stand, but also with the mount \u2014 so the engine bells would not strike the sides and to ensure the clamps could line up correctly.<\/p>\n<p>To replace this system, SpaceX designed a ball-and-socket alignment setup on the booster and used position sensors.<\/p>\n<p><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-112464\" class=\"wp-image-112464 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/NSF-2026-03-18-18-41-35-084.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1107\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/NSF-2026-03-18-18-41-35-084.jpg 2000w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/NSF-2026-03-18-18-41-35-084-350x194.jpg 350w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/NSF-2026-03-18-18-41-35-084-630x350.jpg 630w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/NSF-2026-03-18-18-41-35-084-768x425.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/NSF-2026-03-18-18-41-35-084-1920x1063.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/NSF-2026-03-18-18-41-35-084-1170x648.jpg 1170w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\"><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-112464\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Booster 19\u2019s aft during its first engine test campaign<\/p>\n<p>The first few stacks have been relatively slow; it will likely take SpaceX several attempts to significantly speed up the process. A new feature at the pad allows Starbase cameras to detect whether the clamp arms are open or closed by monitoring the arm covers, which protrude above the launch deck.<\/p>\n<p>Once mounted on the launch mount, SpaceX performed a few pressure tests and moved the new grid fins for the first time. Following these initial tests, crews then did a tanking test to kick off the testing.<\/p>\n<p>It was thought that SpaceX would take it a bit slow and start with smaller propellant loads, which would then build up to a static-fire load.<\/p>\n<p>This was not the case, as crews had been testing this new tank farm on and off for months on end and went straight into the new loading sequence on the first try.<\/p>\n<p>In the past, on Pad 1, SpaceX had only four Liquid Oxygen (LOX) Pumps and six subcoolers, and three Liquid Methane (LCH4) Pumps with three subcoolers. This setup allowed SpaceX to start booster load at T-41:15 on Flight 11.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-112484\" class=\"size-full wp-image-112484\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Pad-1-Tank-Farm-During-a-September-Flyover-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Pad-1-Tank-Farm-During-a-September-Flyover-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Pad-1-Tank-Farm-During-a-September-Flyover-350x233.jpg 350w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Pad-1-Tank-Farm-During-a-September-Flyover-525x350.jpg 525w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Pad-1-Tank-Farm-During-a-September-Flyover-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Pad-1-Tank-Farm-During-a-September-Flyover-1920x1281.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Pad-1-Tank-Farm-During-a-September-Flyover-1170x780.jpg 1170w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Pad-1-Tank-Farm-During-a-September-Flyover-585x390.jpg 585w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Pad-1-Tank-Farm-During-a-September-Flyover-263x175.jpg 263w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\"><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-112484\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Pad 1 Tank Farm During a September Flyover<\/p>\n<p>On Pad 2, SpaceX has five pumps and about 10 subcoolers worth of capacity on the LOX side, and four pumps alongside about six subcoolers worth of capacity on the LCH4 side.<\/p>\n<p>With these upgrades, along with larger supply lines, SpaceX can now load a full booster within 30 minutes, and each LOX ring takes only about 90 seconds to load. This now means SpaceX can load the Superheavy booster faster than a Falcon 9 and carry over 10 times the propellant.<\/p>\n<p>The first test was a static fire load with a deluge activation; the second test was a static fire load with what appears to be a spin prime of all 10 engines at the end. It was hard to tell how powerful the new Detonation Suppression System (DSS) is on Pad 2. The third test was another static fire load of propellant and what appeared to be an igniter test.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-112483\" class=\"wp-image-112483 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Launch-Site-Tank-Farm-Feb-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1441\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Launch-Site-Tank-Farm-Feb-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Launch-Site-Tank-Farm-Feb-350x197.jpg 350w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Launch-Site-Tank-Farm-Feb-622x350.jpg 622w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Launch-Site-Tank-Farm-Feb-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Launch-Site-Tank-Farm-Feb-1920x1081.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Launch-Site-Tank-Farm-Feb-1170x659.jpg 1170w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\"><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-112483\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Launch Site Tank Farm During a February Flyover<\/p>\n<p>This wasn\u2019t like an igniter test seen in the past, as it produced a decent flash even through the DSS. It also sounded much different than the torch igniters that SpaceX has used in the past.<\/p>\n<p>These igniters may be acoustic igniters, which have no moving parts internally, using a nozzle with a central component tuned to the correct resonance so that, when high-velocity gaseous oxygen and methane are fed through it, the nozzle resonates, increasing the temperature and igniting the propellants.<\/p>\n<p>This would align with SpaceX\u2019s desire to innovate and eliminate unwanted components, such as an electric spark igniter.<\/p>\n<p>As for the last test before Booster 19 rolled back to Mega Bay 1, SpaceX performed a static fire of all 10 engines. This static fire lasted only about one second and was cut short due to a ground support issue, according to SpaceX. However, even with the static fire cut short, crews appeared to be satisfied with the data gathered.<\/p>\n<p><iframe id=\"twitter-widget-1\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"0\" allowtransparency=\"true\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" class=\"\" style=\"position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 624px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;\" title=\"X Post\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/embed\/Tweet.html?creatorScreenName=Ryan%20Weber%40rweb11742&amp;dnt=true&amp;embedId=twitter-widget-1&amp;features=eyJ0ZndfdGltZWxpbmVfbGlzdCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOltdLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X2ZvbGxvd2VyX2NvdW50X3N1bnNldCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOnRydWUsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdHdlZXRfZWRpdF9iYWNrZW5kIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6Im9uIiwidmVyc2lvbiI6bnVsbH0sInRmd19yZWZzcmNfc2Vzc2lvbiI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfZm9zbnJfc29mdF9pbnRlcnZlbnRpb25zX2VuYWJsZWQiOnsiYnVja2V0Ijoib24iLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X21peGVkX21lZGlhXzE1ODk3Ijp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6InRyZWF0bWVudCIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfZXhwZXJpbWVudHNfY29va2llX2V4cGlyYXRpb24iOnsiYnVja2V0IjoxMjA5NjAwLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X3Nob3dfYmlyZHdhdGNoX3Bpdm90c19lbmFibGVkIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6Im9uIiwidmVyc2lvbiI6bnVsbH0sInRmd19kdXBsaWNhdGVfc2NyaWJlc190b19zZXR0aW5ncyI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdXNlX3Byb2ZpbGVfaW1hZ2Vfc2hhcGVfZW5hYmxlZCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdmlkZW9faGxzX2R5bmFtaWNfbWFuaWZlc3RzXzE1MDgyIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6InRydWVfYml0cmF0ZSIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfbGVnYWN5X3RpbWVsaW5lX3N1bnNldCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOnRydWUsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdHdlZXRfZWRpdF9mcm9udGVuZCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9fQ%3D%3D&amp;frame=false&amp;hideCard=false&amp;hideThread=false&amp;id=2034274447830479083&amp;lang=en&amp;origin=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nasaspaceflight.com%2F2026%2F04%2Fship-39-booster-19-static-fire%2F&amp;sessionId=e10d9cfa46649a1e209a8759bd11dc908ccef32a&amp;siteScreenName=NASASpaceflight&amp;theme=light&amp;widgetsVersion=6a3ad42b224df%3A1778106238597&amp;width=550px\" data-gtm-yt-inspected-14=\"true\" data-gtm-yt-inspected-21=\"true\" data-tweet-id=\"2034274447830479083\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>This brings us to where Booster 19 is now: out at Pad 2, getting ready for a full 33-engine test campaign. This Block 3 booster now has a brand-new set of 33 Raptor 3 engines installed, which should be the flight engines, barring any swaps after testing.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Based on the set of testing Booster 19 completed in its first round, the testing will likely include a spin prime, igniter test, and at least a 33-engine static fire. It is also possible that, due to the new plumbing, SpaceX could complete a 13-engine static fire using the new LOX landing tank plumbing.<\/p>\n<p><iframe id=\"twitter-widget-2\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"0\" allowtransparency=\"true\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" class=\"\" style=\"position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 950px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;\" title=\"X Post\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/embed\/Tweet.html?creatorScreenName=Ryan%20Weber%40rweb11742&amp;dnt=true&amp;embedId=twitter-widget-2&amp;features=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%3D%3D&amp;frame=false&amp;hideCard=false&amp;hideThread=false&amp;id=2043086747773591706&amp;lang=en&amp;origin=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nasaspaceflight.com%2F2026%2F04%2Fship-39-booster-19-static-fire%2F&amp;sessionId=e10d9cfa46649a1e209a8759bd11dc908ccef32a&amp;siteScreenName=NASASpaceflight&amp;theme=light&amp;widgetsVersion=6a3ad42b224df%3A1778106238597&amp;width=550px\" data-gtm-yt-inspected-14=\"true\" data-gtm-yt-inspected-21=\"true\" data-tweet-id=\"2043086747773591706\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Once Booster 19 has completed its second round of testing, it has to return to Mega Bay 1 once again for final checks and work before rolling out again to perform full-stack testing with Ship 39.<\/p>\n<p>So far, since arriving at the launch site on April 11, Booster has completed two tests and has had the first propellant load abort at Pad 2. The first test was a 33 engine spin prime with the same prop load as the first round of testing. The second test was a 33-engine igniter test, which set the stage for a 33-engine static fire on Tuesday. However, SpaceX would abort the attempt due to a ground support issue, then on Wednesday, Booster 19 would complete its 33-engine static fire.<\/p>\n<p>The static fire itself was only about three seconds long; it is unclear whether that was the intended duration or if there was a ground-side or vehicle-side issue. But SpaceX seems satisfied for now, as the company posted on X, \u201cFirst 33-engine static fire for Super Heavy V3.\u201d After the static fire, however, Booster 19 wasn\u2019t finished. On Thursday, April 16, SpaceX completed a booster Wet Dress Rehearsal, in which crews set a record by chilling down the entire tank farm in about one hour and loading nearly 4,000 metric tons of propellant in about 30 minutes.<\/p>\n<p>This propellant load was not completely full, however, indicating that SpaceX still intends to underfill the booster for these suborbital flights. Following all of this testing, Booster 19 is slated to return to Mega Bay 1 for final checks over the coming weeks, with the hopes of launching in mid-May.<\/p>\n<p><iframe id=\"twitter-widget-3\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"0\" allowtransparency=\"true\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" class=\"\" style=\"position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 528px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;\" title=\"X Post\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/embed\/Tweet.html?creatorScreenName=Ryan%20Weber%40rweb11742&amp;dnt=true&amp;embedId=twitter-widget-3&amp;features=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%3D%3D&amp;frame=false&amp;hideCard=false&amp;hideThread=false&amp;id=2044590183761277386&amp;lang=en&amp;origin=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nasaspaceflight.com%2F2026%2F04%2Fship-39-booster-19-static-fire%2F&amp;sessionId=e10d9cfa46649a1e209a8759bd11dc908ccef32a&amp;siteScreenName=NASASpaceflight&amp;theme=light&amp;widgetsVersion=6a3ad42b224df%3A1778106238597&amp;width=550px\" data-gtm-yt-inspected-14=\"true\" data-gtm-yt-inspected-21=\"true\" data-tweet-id=\"2044590183761277386\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><b>Ship 39<\/b><\/p>\n<p>Along with Booster 19 rolling out for another round of static fire testing, its other half, Ship 39, also rolled out, but this vehicle went to Masseys for its static fire testing. Ship 39 had been inside Mega Bay 2 since March 8, when it came back from cryo-proof testing, flap stress testing, and chopstick squeeze testing.<\/p>\n<p>This was all done using the new truss structure built over the flame trench at Masseys. Since that testing with Ship 39, much of the hardware has been removed, as this round of testing will be focused on the ship\u2019s six Raptor 3 engines.<\/p>\n<p><iframe id=\"twitter-widget-4\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"0\" allowtransparency=\"true\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" class=\"\" style=\"position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 648px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;\" title=\"X Post\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/embed\/Tweet.html?creatorScreenName=Ryan%20Weber%40rweb11742&amp;dnt=true&amp;embedId=twitter-widget-4&amp;features=eyJ0ZndfdGltZWxpbmVfbGlzdCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOltdLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X2ZvbGxvd2VyX2NvdW50X3N1bnNldCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOnRydWUsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdHdlZXRfZWRpdF9iYWNrZW5kIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6Im9uIiwidmVyc2lvbiI6bnVsbH0sInRmd19yZWZzcmNfc2Vzc2lvbiI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfZm9zbnJfc29mdF9pbnRlcnZlbnRpb25zX2VuYWJsZWQiOnsiYnVja2V0Ijoib24iLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X21peGVkX21lZGlhXzE1ODk3Ijp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6InRyZWF0bWVudCIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfZXhwZXJpbWVudHNfY29va2llX2V4cGlyYXRpb24iOnsiYnVja2V0IjoxMjA5NjAwLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X3Nob3dfYmlyZHdhdGNoX3Bpdm90c19lbmFibGVkIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6Im9uIiwidmVyc2lvbiI6bnVsbH0sInRmd19kdXBsaWNhdGVfc2NyaWJlc190b19zZXR0aW5ncyI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdXNlX3Byb2ZpbGVfaW1hZ2Vfc2hhcGVfZW5hYmxlZCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdmlkZW9faGxzX2R5bmFtaWNfbWFuaWZlc3RzXzE1MDgyIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6InRydWVfYml0cmF0ZSIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfbGVnYWN5X3RpbWVsaW5lX3N1bnNldCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOnRydWUsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdHdlZXRfZWRpdF9mcm9udGVuZCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9fQ%3D%3D&amp;frame=false&amp;hideCard=false&amp;hideThread=false&amp;id=2030476026157961717&amp;lang=en&amp;origin=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nasaspaceflight.com%2F2026%2F04%2Fship-39-booster-19-static-fire%2F&amp;sessionId=e10d9cfa46649a1e209a8759bd11dc908ccef32a&amp;siteScreenName=NASASpaceflight&amp;theme=light&amp;widgetsVersion=6a3ad42b224df%3A1778106238597&amp;width=550px\" data-gtm-yt-inspected-14=\"true\" data-gtm-yt-inspected-21=\"true\" data-tweet-id=\"2030476026157961717\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>When Ship 39 first rolled out for cryo-proof testing, several parts were not yet complete. After spending over a month in Mega Bay 2, SpaceX has made significant progress on finishing the ship and has even added some interesting tile patches to the leeward side. The raceways, which were fully exposed during the last rollout, are now covered with large aero covers.<\/p>\n<p>The most interesting additions are the several tile patches on the leeward side of the ship\u2019s tanks and the aft flaps, which are nearly covered with tiles.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-112879\" class=\"size-full wp-image-112879\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/DSC07870-wmarked-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1439\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/DSC07870-wmarked-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/DSC07870-wmarked-350x197.jpg 350w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/DSC07870-wmarked-622x350.jpg 622w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/DSC07870-wmarked-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/DSC07870-wmarked-1920x1080.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/DSC07870-wmarked-1170x658.jpg 1170w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\"><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-112879\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Ship 39 starting its rollout to Masseys<\/p>\n<p>These new patches are not pinned tiles but appear to use the newer purple adhesive to test attachment strength. And the locations aren\u2019t random, as each large spot is in a negative-pressure area during reentry, which will help test whether the tiles get pulled off.<\/p>\n<h4 class=\"widget-title penci-border-arrow\">See Also<\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li>SpaceX Starship Program<\/li>\n<li>L2 SpaceX Section<\/li>\n<li>NSF Store<\/li>\n<li>Click here to Join L2<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>It is unknown exactly how many tests Ship 39 will perform, but if the first round of testing for Booster 19 was any indication, the ship will likely perform a tanking test to commission the new methane tank farm. Then it will likely perform a six-engine spin prime, igniter test, single-engine static fire to simulate a deorbit burn, and finally a six-engine static fire.<\/p>\n<p>An interesting note for Ship 39: with the engines installed and SpaceX getting ready to static-fire the ship, this means its thrust puck and aft will not be thrust simulated and tested, as every other Ship has in the past.<\/p>\n<p>The only other time SpaceX did this with a flight vehicle was with Booster 9, because crews did not have a stand to perform such a test. To compensate for this, teams are putting S39.1 the test tank through its paces.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-112919\" class=\"size-full wp-image-112919\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Ship-39-Static-Firing-at-Masseys-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1440\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Ship-39-Static-Firing-at-Masseys-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Ship-39-Static-Firing-at-Masseys-350x197.jpg 350w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Ship-39-Static-Firing-at-Masseys-622x350.jpg 622w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Ship-39-Static-Firing-at-Masseys-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Ship-39-Static-Firing-at-Masseys-1920x1080.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Ship-39-Static-Firing-at-Masseys-1170x658.jpg 1170w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\"><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-112919\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Ship 39 Static Firing at Masseys<\/p>\n<p>Within 18 hours of arriving at Masseys Ship, 39 completed a tanking test to commission the new methane tank farm at Masseys. Over the next two days, the ship would perform what looked to be a spin prime, possibly followed by a six-engine igniter test. With these completed, the next step was a static fire, and SpaceX surprised everyone by going straight to a 52-second six-engine static fire. <\/p>\n<p>With this out of the way, it appears there are no plans for a single-engine static fire as Ship 39 returned to Mega Bay 2 on April 15 and was placed on the back left work stand.<\/p>\n<p>With Ship 39 back in Mega Bay 2, the final preflight checks and closeouts can begin before rolling Ship 39 out to Pad 2 to be stacked on Booster 19.<\/p>\n<p><em>Featured Image: Booster 19 33 Engine Static Fire on Pad 2 (Credit: SpaceX)<\/em><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-104822\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/L2_Membership_ShopBanner_c3acb3ad-719d-484c-8c2d-3ca9d11244f0-1.webp\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"667\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/L2_Membership_ShopBanner_c3acb3ad-719d-484c-8c2d-3ca9d11244f0-1.webp 2000w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/L2_Membership_ShopBanner_c3acb3ad-719d-484c-8c2d-3ca9d11244f0-1-350x117.webp 350w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/L2_Membership_ShopBanner_c3acb3ad-719d-484c-8c2d-3ca9d11244f0-1-630x210.webp 630w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/L2_Membership_ShopBanner_c3acb3ad-719d-484c-8c2d-3ca9d11244f0-1-768x256.webp 768w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/L2_Membership_ShopBanner_c3acb3ad-719d-484c-8c2d-3ca9d11244f0-1-1920x640.webp 1920w, https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/L2_Membership_ShopBanner_c3acb3ad-719d-484c-8c2d-3ca9d11244f0-1-1170x390.webp 1170w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\"><\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p><iframe title=\"Test, Test &amp; Test Again! Starship &amp; Super Heavy Test Campaign In Full Force | Starship Update\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/dgJKHfZE20M?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen=\"\" name=\"fitvid1\" data-gtm-yt-inspected-14=\"true\" data-gtm-yt-inspected-21=\"true\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Following the successful return of Orion, attention for the Artemis program has now shifted to SpaceX and Blue Origin to prepare a crewed lander in time for Artemis III. For SpaceX, this means getting Starship Block 3 flying and fully operational so that teams can begin building and launching the Human Landing System (HLS) variant. [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[316,739,317],"class_list":["post-23542","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news","tag-spacex","tag-starbase","tag-starship"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23542"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=23542"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23542\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":30783,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23542\/revisions\/30783"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=23542"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=23542"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=23542"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}