Booster 20 completes record duration Static Fire

Date:
Fri, 10 Jul 2026 19:46:17 +0000

Description:
With the 33 engine static fire completed for Booster 20, SpaceX is pushing hard to The post Booster 20 completes record duration Static Fire appeared first on NASASpaceFlight.com .

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With the 33 engine static fire completed for Booster 20, SpaceX is pushing hard to fly Flight 13 as soon as possible, with notices popping up for next week and the week after. The final component is the Ship 40 rollout if
Booster 20 stays at the launch site.



Booster 20

After being inside Mega Bay 1 for one month, SpaceX rolled Booster 20 out to Pad 2 for a 33-engine static fire, and for what could be the only rollout to the launch site. Booster 20 was rolled out to Pad 2 and lifted during the
day, offering great views of the vehicle, especially the Raptor engine numbers. Some of the details are that the chines are fully closed up with the bolted gap strips in place, which is the configuration for flight. The
booster also has the black paint scheme seen in renders and on Booster 19.

Finally, the booster has wire harnesses that record specific data points during a static fire. Normally, to remove these harnesses, the booster would need to roll back into Mega Bay 1 to remove the bottoms of the chines and complete the final closeouts.

However, it is possible that SpaceX has since designed a set to be disconnected at the pad and to have the holes in the bottoms of the chines plugged at the launch site. This would mean Booster 20 would not roll back to Mega Bay 1. The other two reasons for a rollback would be the installation of the Flight Termination System (FTS), if it is not already installed, and a closer inspection of the engines.



As for the engine numbers, a few engines on Booster 20 were originally on Booster 19 but were removed due to damage. It seems that SpaceX has repaired these engines and will reuse them for Flight 13.

After being placed on the launch mount on the afternoon of July 9, SpaceX spent all night hooking up the quick disconnects and doing final checks
before testing. SpaceX didnt waste any time on the morning of July 10, as the Methane reclaim vent started at 7:06 am CDT. And then at 9:55:55 CDT, SpaceX ignited all 33 engines on Booster 20 for a record 24 seconds. Starship Flight 13: WOW! Heck of a long Static Fire for Booster 20! https://t.co/Hs3zIE8QpH pic.twitter.com/sUCwS40ILB

NSF NASASpaceflight.com (@NASASpaceflight) July 10, 2026



The previous record duration for a Superheavy Booster static fire was on August 11, 2022, when Booster 7 static-fired a single engine for 20 seconds. That static fire was without a water deluge system and was used to test the brand-new autogenous pressurization system.

Going straight to a 33-engine static fire on only the second Block 3 booster shows the confidence SpaceX now has in its hardware and software for the booster and the launch pad. With a static fire complete and barring any rollback, SpaceX will still demount the booster from the launch mount for final work and inspections.

Ship 40

Ship 40 is still in Mega Bay 2, getting some final touches before getting
its payload and rolling out to the launch site. There is a rollout to Masseys on the night of July 10, which could mean another trip for Ship 40, because
an updated, higher temporary flight restriction has also been placed over Masseys, which is used during Block 3 engine testing.

Assuming Ship 40 does not need any further engine testing, it just needs to get its payload and roll out to the launch site. Once there, it will get stacked on Booster 20, where SpaceX will likely perform either a tanking test or a full Wet Dress Rehearsal due to changes to the tank farm.

Once all preflight testing and checkouts are complete, the stack will be
ready for launch, which, based on notices from the Federal Aviation Administration, marine safety notices, navigational hazard warnings, and airspace closures, is currently targeted between July 15 and July 21. Ship 40 Rollback to Mega Bay 2

The other component is that the FAA needs to either close the mishap investigation into Flight 12 or issue a safety exemption allowing SpaceX to fly Starship again. Barring any other issues, SpaceX could, in theory, make the launch windows next week, but its also likely to slip to the week of July 20.

Featured Image: Booster 20 33 engine Static fire (Colleen Liedtke for NSF)



The post Booster 20 completes record duration Static Fire appeared first on NASASpaceFlight.com .



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Link to news story: https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2026/07/booster-20-record-static-fire/


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