All articles tagged with #raptor engines
A photographer captured SpaceX's Starship V3 lift-off in true 120fps slow motion, showing visible shockwaves streaming through the humid air and surrounding smoke as the 400-foot rocket rose; the May 22, 2026 Pad-2 test was Starship's twelfth flight and ended with a splashdown in the Indian Ocean after an engine-out run.
SpaceX’s Starship Version 3 reached a key milestone with Booster 19’s first static fire, firing 10 Raptor 3 engines for about a second before a ground-systems issue ended the test. Engineers will push toward a full 33-engine static fire and final checks on Ship 39 as stacking for Flight 12 progresses, eyeing an inaugural Moon/Mars mission in April and a potential use of Starship’s upper stage for NASA Artemis plans amid a challenging development path.
SpaceX's Starship's first stage, Super Heavy, is equipped with 33 Raptor engines arranged in a dense circular pattern, showcasing advanced engineering for deep-space missions. Elon Musk announced plans to increase the engine count to 42 in future versions, enhancing payload capacity for missions to the moon, Mars, and beyond.
SpaceX has successfully test-fired the 33 Raptor engines on its Super Heavy booster for the next Starship flight, despite the Falcon 9 being grounded due to a recent launch failure. The test, conducted at Starbase in South Texas, verified all systems functioned normally. SpaceX plans to attempt a bold booster recovery using "chopsticks" on the launch tower and will test an upgraded heat shield on the upper stage. The next Starship flight could launch as early as August, with ongoing construction for additional launch pads to support future missions.
SpaceX successfully launched its massive Super Heavy-Starship rocket on its third test flight, aiming to boost the unpiloted upper stage into space on a sub-orbital hop to a controlled re-entry and splashdown in the Indian Ocean. The test flight included ambitious goals such as controlled landings by both stages, propellant transfer tests, and the first restart of a Raptor engine outside the atmosphere, critical milestones for NASA's Artemis moon program.
SpaceX successfully conducted a static fire test with its Starship upper-stage prototype, Ship 28, as it prepares for the third test flight in the coming weeks. Ship 28 completed a full-duration static fire with all six of its Raptor engines. The Starship consists of a first-stage booster called Super Heavy and an upper-stage spacecraft known as Starship, both powered by SpaceX's next-generation Raptor engine. The previous two test flights encountered issues, but SpaceX aims to get Starship aloft again soon pending a launch license from the Federal Aviation Administration.
SpaceX's Starship rocket completed a successful liftoff on its second-ever test flight, igniting all 33 of its first-stage Raptor engines. Although the upper stage, known as Starship, exploded about eight minutes after launch, the test flight achieved several important milestones. These included a smooth liftoff, successful separation from the Super Heavy booster, and the completion of a full-duration burn during ascent. SpaceX is already preparing for Starship's third flight test.
SpaceX's Starship, the largest and most powerful rocket ever built, successfully ignited all 33 Raptor engines during its second test flight. The rocket lifted off from SpaceX's Starbase facility in Texas, marking a major milestone as it made it farther into flight than its first test in April. However, both the Super Heavy booster and the Starship upper stage exploded shortly after liftoff. SpaceX is investigating the cause of the explosions and is eager to conduct the next test flight.
SpaceX has revealed the installation of a new hot staging ring on Booster 9, which will be used for stage separation during Starship launches. The hot staging method involves igniting the Starship's engines while it is still connected to the booster, allowing it to pull away while the booster continues firing its engines at a reduced throttle. The ring has undergone testing and features vents on the sides and a reinforced underside to withstand the forces from the Raptor engines. SpaceX has not confirmed the ignition sequence for the engines, but adjustments have been made to the quick disconnect arm used for fueling. The company is also making room for an improved production facility at the site.
SpaceX CEO Elon Musk announced that the company is changing the approach for separating the two stages of its Starship vehicle to increase payload performance before its next test flight. The new approach, called hot-staging, involves igniting the engines on one stage while still attached to its lower stage. Musk said that, for Starship, most of the 33 Raptor engines on the Super Heavy booster would be turned off, but a few still firing, when the engines on the Starship upper stage are ignited. SpaceX also made improvements to the Raptor engines and the launch pad.