SpaceX completes static‑fires
SpaceX ran full‑duration static‑fire tests on Starship 39 and Super Heavy Booster 19 as preparation for what reports call Flight 12, with the company framing the test campaign as a near‑term step toward a launch in the coming weeks ( ). Another outlet placed a possible next launch window in May while noting regulatory and procedural steps remain before a flight attempt (xataka.com).
SpaceX has fired up both halves of its next Starship stack on the ground, clearing a major test step before another South Texas launch attempt. (spacex.com, teslaoracle.com) A static fire is a full engine run while the rocket stays bolted down, like revving a car at the starting line without moving. Tesla Oracle reported Ship 39 fired its six Raptor engines on April 15, and Booster 19 fired all 33 of its engines on April 16 at Starbase, Texas. (teslaoracle.com, nasaspaceflight.com) NASASpaceflight identified Ship 39 and Booster 19 as the first Block 3, or V3, Starship stack, a new version SpaceX is preparing at its Starbase test and launch complex. The outlet also reported Booster 19 tested on Pad 2, while Ship 39 tested at the Masseys site. (nasaspaceflight.com) SpaceX says Starship is a fully reusable system made up of the Starship upper stage and the Super Heavy booster, built to carry cargo and crews to Earth orbit, the Moon, Mars, and beyond. The company lists payload capacity at up to 150 metric tons when fully reusable and 250 metric tons when flown expendably. (spacex.com) The next flight matters because SpaceX has not launched Starship since Flight 11 in October 2025. SpaceX said Flight 10 lifted off on August 26, 2025, and met every major objective, including a full-duration ascent burn, payload deployment, an in-space Raptor relight, and a soft splashdown in the Indian Ocean. (spacex.com, spacex.com) The regulatory path is not finished when the engines light on the pad. The Federal Aviation Administration says SpaceX still must obtain an experimental permit or vehicle operator license, and that the agency’s review covers public safety, national security, insurance, and environmental impact. (faa.gov) The Federal Aviation Administration has already completed key environmental reviews for Boca Chica, including a Finding of No Significant Impact and a Record of Decision for updated launch trajectories and Starship landings. The agency also says environmental review is only one part of license evaluation, with safety, risk, and financial reviews still required before a license decision. (faa.gov, permits.performance.gov) Reports on timing remain narrower than a formal launch date. Tesla Oracle said SpaceX framed the tests as preparation for a launch in the coming weeks, while Xataka and other coverage pointed to May 2026 as a possible window if the remaining approvals and pad work stay on track. (teslaoracle.com, xataka.com, newspaceeconomy.ca) For now, the clearest change is on the test stand: Ship 39 and Booster 19 have both completed the kind of engine runs that usually come just before a countdown gets real. The next milestone is no longer another static fire, but a license and a launch date. (teslaoracle.com, faa.gov)
