Elon Musk Says SpaceX Will Fire Up Its Super Heavy Booster Soon; Is Raptor Engine Render Accurate?

Elon Musk said the first major fire test of the rocket booster being built to send the Mars-bound Starship spacecraft into orbit had been set. He also stated that the SpaceX Super Heavy Booster graphic circulating on Twitter, which depicted a 33-engine configuration, was "very accurate."

It will be a major step forward in building an orbit-capable Starship spaceship and SpaceX's plans to build a rocket capable of transporting personnel and cargo beyond the Solar System.

Booster 3 Fire Test Probably on Monday, Musk Said

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk said the static fire test of the Booster 3 would take place early next week.

"Probably Monday," Musk said in response to a tweet from space blogger and YouTuber Everyday Astronaut on the planned date of the static fire test.

Cameron County said the highways surrounding SpaceX's Starbase facility in Boca Chica, Texas, will be closed from 12 p.m. to 10 p.m. EST on Monday. They also provided backup testing dates set for Tuesday and Wednesday.

The Starship SN20 spacecraft will undergo a 90-minute orbital journey from Texas to a landing spot just off the coast of Hawaii.

SpaceX is on a tight schedule to deliver an operational Starship by 2024, after securing a multi-billion dollar deal with NASA earlier this year to transport astronauts to the Moon.

Elon Musk Says SpaceX Super Heavy Raptor Render is 'Very Accurate'

There are many fans on Twitter who work in various fields, including graphic design, automotive manufacture, media, entertainment, and other fields. However, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk praised a SpaceX Super Heavy Booster model in a subsequent response, which depicts the Raptor engine's 20-10-3 configuration.

A Twitter user with handle @ErcXspace made a render that depicts Super Heavy standing on its launch and catch arm at SpaceX's Boca Chica site in all of its magnificence.

Musk has noticed the image, calling it "very accurate" to catch the image and likeness of SpaceX's future rocket booster. The Super Heavy was previously known to be seen in the image, standing on its launch arms, but was not yet working.

If SpaceX intends to continue with its full-stack tests, the Raptor engine render shows many engines lying underneath the rocket launcher.

FAA Has Yet to Approve SpaceX's Latest Move

Meanwhile, FAA has yet to approve the SpaceX Starship Launch Tower in Boca Chica, hence the flight delays. On the other hand, Super Heavy's launch tower and catching arms might be having the same problem.

Regulatory difficulties remain the most significant impediment to the launch, which Musk expects to take place as soon as August.

Despite the SN15's successful launch and landing a few months ago, this remains the case.

The launch tower may need to be demolished due to an environmental study by the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

An FAA spokesperson told The Independent that SpaceX did not inform the regulatory agency about the construction and that "the company is building the tower at its own risk."

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