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Super Heavy reaches pad as Starship launch nears
SpaceX has moved Super Heavy Booster 20 to Pad 2 at Starbase ahead of a possible Starship test flight on July 16.
Image: iXBT
SpaceX has moved Super Heavy Booster 20 to Pad 2 at Starbase, Texas, bringing the next Starship test flight a step closer. According to iXBT, the booster is now being prepared for lifting and installation on the orbital launch mount, with launch expected on July 16.
The move follows recent SpaceX photos and videos showing a static-fire test of the Super Heavy V3 first stage for Starship. During that test, all 33 Raptor engines ignited at the same time and ran for 15 seconds.
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SpaceX had previously said that Starship’s 13th test flight could take place as early as this week. The 90-minute launch window at Starbase, Texas opens on July 16 at 17:45 local time, which is 01:45 on July 17 Moscow time.
Starship is a fully reusable super heavy-lift transportation system developed by SpaceX to carry people and cargo to Earth orbit, the Moon, and Mars. The system has two parts: the Starship spacecraft as the upper stage, and the 70-meter Super Heavy booster.
Frontier Editor
Dan is our resident futurist, covering electric mobility, space exploration, and the smart home. He's interested in atoms just as much as bits. Whether it's a new battery chemistry, a reusable rocket, or a protocol that finally makes IoT devices talk to each other, Dan breaks down the engineering that pushes humanity forward.
via iXBT
