Ship 42 fires six engines ahead of Starship Flight 15
SpaceX’s Ship 42 upper stage completed a full-duration six-engine static fire and a separate single-engine firing that simulated a deorbit burn. The ground tests prepare the vehicle for Starship Flight 15. SpaceX is also considering a tower catch of the upper stage, while a launch date and the attempt remain subject to further preparations and approval.
Science··Evening
Two firings, one upper stage
SpaceX’s Ship 42, the upper stage of the company’s Starship launch system, completed two kinds of engine test before its planned Flight 15. A full-duration static fire used all six engines, while another firing used one Raptor engine to simulate the burn for leaving orbit. Space.com and Supercharged Daily both reported the company’s October 28 announcement. The vehicle stayed anchored to the ground during the tests on October 26 and 27. The development concerns the upper stage’s engine firings, with the six-engine operation and the single-engine simulation exercising different parts of its flight sequence. No flight took place during these ground tests.[1], [2]
Preparing the two-stage vehicle
Ship 42 is being prepared alongside Super Heavy, the booster that provides the first part of a Starship flight. Space.com reports that Booster 22 had separately completed a static fire with 33 engines. That booster test preceded the upper-stage firings and involved another part of the vehicle. Ship 42 then needs its own engine operation for the later flight sequence. Space.com attributes a November target for Flight 15 to Elon Musk, while the reporting describes preparations still under way. The six-engine test and simulated deorbit burn are completed ground operations; the anticipated mission remains a future flight. Neither test establishes that the full mission has already been carried out.[1]
The proposed tower catch
SpaceX is considering an attempt to catch the Ship upper stage with the launch tower during Flight 15. This would concern the upper stage itself, extending beyond the booster catches already undertaken by the company. The planned attempt depends on readiness and regulatory approval. Supercharged Daily reports that, as of October 29, the mission did not have an announced SpaceX launch date or a Federal Aviation Administration licence. The US aviation regulator’s approval therefore remains part of the mission’s preparations. The completed engine firings provide the immediate news, while the upper-stage catch belongs to the flight plan still being prepared.[1], [2]
