At Starbase, Texas, on Oct. 25, 2026, SpaceX reportedly fired all 33 Raptor engines on Super Heavy Booster 22 while the booster was restrained at the launch structure. Reports said the static fire ran for its planned duration. A static fire is an engine test conducted with the vehicle secured on the ground.
What happened in the Booster 22 static fire?
Booster 22’s engines ignited simultaneously during the test. The reported completion of the planned duration marks the ground test’s result; it does not describe a flight.
What SpaceX planned for Starship Flight 15
Reports identified Booster 22 as the booster intended for Flight 15. Elon Musk said during SpaceX’s Oct. 20 earnings call that the flight would attempt tower catches of both Super Heavy and Starship’s upper stage. The test adds a hardware milestone to the plan outlined in NeoTeo’s earlier coverage of the Flight 15 dual-catch attempt.
October reporting targeted November for Flight 15. Gwynne Shotwell, SpaceX’s president and COO, said the company expected the Federal Aviation Administration license for the flight to cover return-to-launch-site and tower-catch operations for both stages.
