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SpaceX conducted two engine test firings of its Starship 20 prototype rocket at its facility near Brownsville, Texas, on Thursday
The launch vehicle, a part of SpaceX's plans to travel to the moon and eventually Mars, fired its engines for only seconds. The rocket was held down for a so-called static fire later. The Federal Aviation Administration is currently reviewing a license request for the rocket.
It was the massive rocket's first firing using its Raptor vacuum engine, designed for such missions where larger amounts of cargo and people will be onboard. SpaceX has been working to make the Starship 20 completely reusable with the ability to land itself much like its current Falcon 9 rockets.
The Starship 20 will eventually contain six Raptor engines, three standard and three vacuum, according to Space.com. SpaceX has launched three-engine prototypes before that reached an altitude of six miles. Elon Musk's space company said it hopes to launch the fully-equipped rocket for test flights in the coming months.
Starship 20 and SpaceX's Super Heavy will launch from Brownsville and return to the Gulf of Mexico.
Related Links
Rocket Science News at Space-Travel.Com
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