Posted: Sat, Feb 11, 2023, 8:23 AM ET (1323 GMT)
SpaceX conducted a static-fire test of nearly all the engines in its Starship booster Thursday. The booster ignited its engines at about 4:14 pm EST (2114 GMT) at the company's Boca Chica, Texas, test site, firing them for several seconds. While the booster has 33 Raptor engines, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk said one engine did not ignite and a second shut down early but said having 31 working engines would still have allowed the vehicle to get to orbit. That test was one of the last milestones before the first orbital launch attempt for Starship, which could take place in as soon as a month, SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell said earlier this week.
