SpaceX has successfully completed static fire tests for the Starship upper stage, identified as Ship 42. The tests, conducted on October 26 and 27, involved firing six Raptor engines for their full duration and a separate test of a single engine to simulate deorbit burn maneuvers.
The Booster 22 super-heavy booster, which will accompany Ship 42 on the 15th flight, has already completed its own static fire test involving all 33 engines. SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has indicated that the company aims to launch the mission in November, pending regulatory approval.
For the upcoming 15th flight, SpaceX plans to attempt the simultaneous recovery of both the upper stage and the booster using the mechanical arms at the Starbase launch tower. While the booster has been successfully captured in three previous tests, the company has never attempted to recover the upper stage.
The company aims to achieve full reusability for the Starship system to increase launch frequency. During the 14th test flight on September 28, Starship successfully reached orbit and deployed 26 next-generation Starlink V3 satellites, marking the start of a new constellation deployment.
