SpaceX, the leading private aerospace company, is taking a big step towards space exploration with its Super Heavy rocket booster. The company's first stage of the starship rocket is fully reusable, which is aimed to power NASA's return to the Moon and help humans settle on Mars one day. With 33 main engines, this is the first time in history that so many engines have been used on a rocket. The closest comparison to this is the Soviet Union's N1 rocket, which had 30 liquid-fueled engines, but each of them was only about two-thirds as powerful as the Raptor 2 engines used on the Super Heavy rocket.
The Super Heavy rocket is a crucial component of SpaceX's starship program, and its successful ignition of all 33 engines marks a significant milestone for the company. Gwynne Shotwell, President of SpaceX, spoke at a commercial space conference in Washington, DC and stated that Thursday (the day of the engine ignition test) was going to be a "big day" for the company. Despite the significance of the moment, Shotwell emphasized that the test was just the first step and the real goal was not to "blow up the launch pad".
SpaceX's Starship program has been in development for several years, and after rapid-fire prototype tests in 2020 and 2021, the company has moved more cautiously with its testing at the Starbase facility in South Texas. The company has likely invested over $1 billion in building a massive launch-and-catch tower, as well as ground systems, to support the Super Heavy and Starship vehicles. With so many assets in one small area near the Gulf of Mexico, SpaceX is taking extra care not to risk destroying any infrastructure it has spent over a year building and testing.
In the event of any destruction, the starship launch campaign would be set back for months, and regulatory concerns raised by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) would likely increase. Thus, the primary goal of the engine ignition test was to not blow up the launch pad, and after that, SpaceX would analyze the performance of the Raptor engines and replace any that show deviations from expected behavior.
The engine ignition test took place at around 3:15 pm local time in South Texas, and lasted for a "full duration" of the Raptor engines. According to SpaceX founder Elon Musk, one engine was turned off just prior to ignition, and another stopped itself, but 31 of the 33 engines would have provided enough thrust to reach orbit. Despite this, the launch infrastructure in South Texas remained mostly unscathed.
This successful engine ignition test could lead to SpaceX's first orbital launch attempt, which is expected to occur in the second half of March or early April. The thrust output of the Super Heavy's engines was likely nearly double that of NASA's Saturn 5 rocket or Space Launch System, which is a huge achievement for SpaceX.
Reusable Rockets: The Future of Space Exploration
SpaceX's Super Heavy rocket booster is designed to be fully reusable, which is a major shift in the traditional aerospace industry. In the past, most rockets were used only once and then discarded after their mission was complete. This was because it was deemed too expensive and time-consuming to recover and refurbish the rockets for reuse. However, SpaceX has taken a different approach and is working towards a future where reusable rockets are the norm.
Reusable rockets have several benefits. For starters, they significantly reduce the cost of launching into space. This is because the same rocket can be used repeatedly, reducing the need to build and launch new rockets for each mission. In addition, reusable rockets reduce the amount of debris generated during launches, which is crucial in maintaining a clean environment