Overview
- SpaceX ran a full‑duration static fire of Booster 20 that ignited all 33 Raptor engines for about 24–25 seconds, a record-length pad burn that engineers used to validate booster hardware and software.
- The test was conducted at Starbase in the days of July 10–11 and yielded detailed telemetry that SpaceX will analyze before proceeding with vehicle stacking and final inspections.
- Ship 40 remains in Mega Bay 2 for final payload integration and must be rolled out and stacked on Booster 20 before SpaceX performs tanking or a wet dress rehearsal and moves to launch countdown operations.
- Flight 13 is planned to carry 20 Starlink V3 satellites and to re‑test in‑flight engine relight and booster recovery procedures that failed or underperformed on Flight 12 after SpaceX implemented hardware and software fixes.
- Longer term, the Block 3 upgrades validated by this test — Raptor 3 engines, lighter avionics, taller tanks and propellant‑transfer hardware — are aimed at improving reuse, increasing launch capacity, and supporting missions such as Artemis and high‑capacity Starlink deployments.