SpaceX static fires Ship 29

SpaceX has static fired Ship 29 ahead of Flight 4 of Starship. This marks a critical milestone in the buildup to the 4th flight of the world's biggest rocket.

(image courtesy of NSF's stream)

On the 22nd of March, Ship 29 rolled out to the suborbital pad for static-firing. Then, 2 hours before the static fire truly started, a notice for spaceflight testing was put out to Boca Chica village. Then, at 1:12 p.m., all 6 engines (3 sea-level Raptors, 3 vacumn Raptors) lit and we saw Ship 29 in its full glory for the first time. If Ship 29 doesn't require another static fire, this may be the last time we see a static fire from the Suborbital Pad, as future fires will probably be relegated to the new pad at Massey's.

This marks a great step forward in the testing and development campgain for Flight 4 of Starship, which may as well be the first ship to ever make orbit. In the following weeks, we should expect to see a similar static fire of Booster 11. Then, let the actual flight commence!