Watch a 4K video replay of the Falcon 9 static fire (members only)

SpaceX test-fired a Falcon 9 rocket Monday evening at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, paving the way for launch of 60 more Starlink internet satellites Tuesday night.

The 229-foot-tall (70-meter) Falcon 9 rocket fired its nine Merlin 1D engines at 6 p.m. EST (2300 GMT) Monday on pad 40 at Cape Canaveral. Hold-down clamps held the launcher on the ground as the engines generated 1.7 million pounds of thrust for several seconds.

The static fire test was a key milestone before SpaceX proceeds with the launch of the Falcon 9 and 60 Starlink payloads at 9:58 p.m. EST Tuesday (0258 GMT Wednesday).