When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission.SpaceX conducts a static fire test with a Super Heavy booster on July 10, 2026, to gear up for the upcoming 13th test flight of its Starship megarocket. | Credit: SpaceXIt looks like SpaceX’s next Starship flight is on the horizon, and it may lift off sooner than you might think.SpaceX today (July 10) completed a brief static fire of the Starship Super Heavy booster tapped to launch the 13th test flight of the massive, mega-lift vehicle.Booster 20 — the latest Super Heavy to roll off the assembly line — was transported to the pad at SpaceX’s Starbase, Texas, facility yesterday (July 9) and hoisted onto its support stand using the launch tower’s stalwart “Mechazilla” chopstick arms. By early Friday, SpaceX began preparations leading up to the prelaunch engine test, including closing Boca Chica beach around 8 a.m. EDT (1200 GMT) and transferring fuel to the pad’s tank farm ahead of loading propellant onto the vehicle.Full-duration, 33-engine static fire of Super Heavy V3 pic.twitter.com/JFdGYqEvww— @SpaceX (July 10, 2026)Voir le tweet originalThis is the second “Version 3” (V3) booster to reach the pad at Starbase for testing, and is equipped with 33 of SpaceX’s upgraded Raptor 3 engines. Those engines ignited in a blazing heat on Friday just before 11 a.m. EDT (1500 GMT), and underwent a roughly 25-second burn simulating on the launch stand the duration and flight conditions for an actual launch.AdvertisementAdvertisementThe successful completion of Booster 20’s static test fire paves the way for Starship’s upcoming test launch, Flight 13. That could launch as early as Wednesday (July 15), according to a notice from the Federal Aviation Administration.Compared to Version 2 (V2), Starship V3 packs a much stronger punch. The rocket was upgraded with enhanced avionics to reduce mass and inc …
