Ship 40 completes single-engine static fire; Booster 20 and Pad 2 see new work

Date:
Fri, 26 Jun 2026 19:33:26 +0000

Description:
SpaceX rolled out Ship 40 for engine testing, but after completing only a single engine The post Ship 40 completes single-engine static fire; Booster
20 and Pad 2 see new work appeared first on NASASpaceFlight.com .

FULL STORY ======================================================================

SpaceX rolled out Ship 40 for engine testing, but after completing only a single engine test and what appeared to be an abort, it was rolled back to Mega Bay 2. The full test of all of Ship 40s engines has yet to be completed, though time remains as Booster 20 appears to still be weeks away from a 33-engine static fire.

Meanwhile, at Pad 2, SpaceX teams have improved the chopsticks landing rails and dampers, installed new fuel lines along the tower, and possibly drilled new holes in the water-cooled deck plate.



Ship 40s single-engine static fire test

Ship 40 rolled out to Masseys on June 23 for engine testing. This comes
after spending about six weeks in Mega Bay 2 for preparations and waiting for Masseys to be ready. Ship 40 Rollout to Masseys (Credit: Colleen Liedtke for NSF)

Once out at Masseys, SpaceX wasted no time getting the Ship ready for testing, as on June 24, Ship 40 was loaded with propellant to the same levels as all of Ship 39s tests. This load includes a full tank of liquid oxygen (LOX) and about a rings worth of liquid methane (LCH4). Ship 40 then either performed an igniter test or aborted a static-fire attempt. Without further confirmation from SpaceX, the exact circumstances remain unclear.

Then, on June 25, Ship 40 was loaded with propellants again, but this time
it was for a single-engine static fire. For the single-engine static fire,
the LOX tank was loaded to about half, and the LCH4 tank to a level similar
to that in the June 24 test. This test is a first for Block 3 ships, as the last ship to perform a single-engine static fire was Ship 37 on July 31,
2025, on Pad 1.

Propellant loading started around 5:45 pm CDT, which made a possible T-0 of around 6:15 CDT. During these tests, the flaps wiggle at around T-10 minutes, which was observed at 6:05 CDT, indicating a 6:15 CDT T0 for a single-engine static fire. However, that time elapsed after a large LOX tank vent, and Ship 40 remained loaded without detanking for another 20 minutes before the single-engine static fire occurred. Full duration single-engine static fire test of Starship pic.twitter.com/nfR8PvHpze

SpaceX (@SpaceX) June 26, 2026





The test marked the first time SpaceX held that level of propellant for an extended period on Starship prior to an engine test, and, based on the tank farm, the tanks were not being topped off. This would cause the cryogenic propellants to warm up and boil off.

In the past, SpaceX has attempted to simulate an in-space burn on the ground by partially filling the tanks, then performing a large depressurization vent just before using the header tanks to static fire a single engine. This test appears similar, as if the engineers were attempting to simulate the ships ascent to apogee, then performing a burn to enter orbit. Ship 40s rollback to Mega Bay 2. (Credit: Colleen Liedtke for NSF)

See Also Flight 13 Updates Starship Forum Section Click here to Join L2

This type of flight profile is safer than just burning for orbit, and it allows teams to ensure the ship is go for orbit after completing the initial ascent burn. This flight profile wouldnt be used until at least Flight 14, as SpaceX COO Gwynne Shotwell stated that Flight 13 will be another suborbital flight for Starship.

The next test after the single-engine static fire was expected to be a full six-engine static fire. However, on June 26, Ship 40 rolled back to the production site. This was unexpected, as SpaceX has to static fire all six engines to properly test them before flying Ship 40 on an actual mission.

It is currently unknown why Ship 40 was rolled back, but the six-engine static fire will take place at a later date. Fortunately, SpaceX still has time to get Ship 40 ready, as Booster 20 is likely still a few weeks away
from a 33-engine static fire. The chopsticks at Pad 2. (Credit: Ceaser G for NSF)

Booster 20 and Pad 2 see new work and improvements

Booster 20 is still in Mega Bay 1 after completing its cryo-proof test campaign in early June. Currently, it is unknown how many engines the booster has installed or how far along it is in static-fire readiness.

Pad 2, on the other hand, has seen lots of work over the past weeks since Flight 12. The chopsticks had their landing rails swapped for lighter ones, and the landing rail dampers were removed and reinstalled with the new rails. Additionally, several bearing skates on the chopstick carriage were removed and then reinstalled after some work was completed on them. The chopsticks have also had new doublers/reinforcements installed along the arms for added support. Pad 2s launch mount. (Credit: Ceaser G for NSF)

The launch mount itself may have new holes drilled into the water-cooled
deck plate to increase water flow in certain areas during launch. Lastly, the tower appears to be getting new cryogenic lines, which could be for
reclaiming LOX rather than dumping it out through the tower vent.

The next expected milestones in SpaceXs launch campaign for Flight 13 will
be Ship 40 rolling back out for its six-engine static fire and Booster 20 rolling out for its 33-engine static fire. Based on current vehicle statuses and past timelines, its possible SpaceX could launch Ship 40 and Booster 20
on Flight 13 by late July, though this timeframe could easily slip into August.

(Lead image: Ship 40s single engine static fire at Masseys. Credit Colleen Liedtke for NSF)



The post Ship 40 completes single-engine static fire; Booster 20 and Pad 2
see new work appeared first on NASASpaceFlight.com .



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Link to news story: https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2026/06/ship-40-single-engine/


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