SpaceX conducts test-fires of Starship upper stage ahead of Flight 7 launch

SpaceX recently conducted a test-fire of the upper stage of its seventh Starship spacecraft, igniting all six Raptor engines for about 10 seconds at its South Texas facility on December 15. This test focused on simulating an in-space engine burn. On December 17, SpaceX performed a single-engine static fire test with the same upper stage, demonstrating a flight-like startup for an in-space burn. The company shared videos of this nearly two-minute-long test on social media. Starship, the largest and most powerful rocket ever built, has completed six test flights since April 2023. While SpaceX has not confirmed a launch date for Flight 7, NASA's email to the FAA suggests a target of January 11.