Static firing tests are commonplace during pre-flight checks on SpaceX rockets, and now SN9 may have passed enough tests for the upcoming launch – it could take place as early as Monday 25 January.

It is expected that the flight of the SN9 prototype will largely repeat the mission of its predecessor SN8, which took off about 12.5 km above Boca Chica on December 9. The ship did everything that was required of it that day except for landing – after a manoeuvre before landing, it did not have time to extinguish the gained speed and crashed.

SpaceX is developing Starship to deliver people and cargo to the Moon, Mars and other space missions. The system consists of two key elements, each of which will be reusable: the Starship spacecraft 50 meters high and the huge Super Heavy booster another 70 meters high.

Both will be powered by next-generation Raptor engines. According to the founder and CEO of SpaceX Elon Musk, the final version of Starship will have six Raptors, and Super Heavy will have about 30 engines. Super Heavy is required to launch Starship into orbit from Earth, but the spacecraft will be able to independently take off from the Moon and Mars.

SpaceX is progressing fast enough with the development of Starship. Mr Musk expects Starship to start sending humans to Mars in 2026, and even, “with luck,” in 2024. Previously, SpaceX had already conducted one SN9 static fire test on January 6 and three in a row in rapid succession on January 13. After testing on January 13, SpaceX replaced two of the ship’s three engines – they needed minor repairs. On Thursday, January 21st, the company also tried to start the engines but cancelled the test.