Flight 7 Starship enters its final stages of launch preparations as SpaceX performed a static fire test on the upper stage Ship 33 spacecraft on Sunday 15th December.
Last week, SpaceX performed a static fire test on the Flight 7 Super Heavy rocket booster (Booster 14). After the static fire test, SpaceX moved Booster 14 back to the High Bay — possibly for repairs and upgrades based on the test results.
As Booster 14 was sent back to the production site, SpaceX moved the Flight 7 Starship 33 spaceship to the Starbase testing area. On Sunday, SpaceX conducted 6-engine and later a single-engine static fire test on Ship 33 which is the upper stage first — V2 Starship prototype intended for the Flight 7 launch and landing test (IFT-7).
“Single engine static fire demonstrating a flight-like startup for an in-space burn,” SpaceX stated in a social media post.
SpaceX performed the Flight 7 Ship 33 static fire on the test stand installed at the Massey’s Outpost. SpaceX staff celebrated the success of this major milestone, Shana Diez, Director of Starship engineering wrote on her X (Twitter) timeline:
Great work by the Starship operations teams and the South Texas test site to make fire out of Ship 33 today. Great progress made this weekend on the way to flight 7.
Both Ship 33 and Booster 14 have now gone through major pre-flight tests. The success of the recent static fire tests has proven the integrity of the giant spacecraft structures.
The next set of tests will include mounting Booster 14 again on the orbital launch mount (OLM) Pad A and installing Ship 33 on it (called a full stacking or a fully integrated Starship).
SpaceX might perform the full stacking of the Flight 7 Starship 1st and 2nd stages to also test the launch tower (Mechazilla) Chopsticks and other equipment like the quick disconnect (QD) arm.
After the full stacking and regulatory approvals are acquired, SpaceX will be conducting the Flight 7 launch and landing test. It’s not yet clear if SpaceX is going to target a landing-catch of the booster in the Flight 7 test as it did in Flight 5.
SpaceX is eyeing January for the Starship Flight 7 test. According to a NASA email, the NET date for Flight 7 is scheduled for 11th January.
Following is the list of completed and upcoming tests, procedures, and regulatory requirements before SpaceX can actually launch the Flight 7 Starship and attempt to catch or land it. Stay tuned for Flight 7 updates.
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