Static Fire – Spaceflight Now

SpaceX test-fires rocket ahead of Crew Dragon in-flight abort test

January 11, 2020

SpaceX fired up nine Merlin main engines at the bottom of a previously-flown Falcon 9 booster Saturday at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, running the rocket through a practice countdown before a scheduled liftoff Jan. 18 with a Crew Dragon capsule to test the human-rated ship’s high-altitude abort capability.

Timeline for Falcon 9 launch of Starlink satellites

January 6, 2020

Follow the key events of the Falcon 9 rocket’s ascent to orbit 60 satellites for SpaceX’s Starlink broadband network.

SpaceX test-fires rocket ahead of record-setting Starlink launch

January 4, 2020

SpaceX test-fired a Falcon 9 rocket Saturday at Cape Canaveral, two days before a scheduled launch Monday with 60 Starlink broadband relay stations that will make SpaceX the owner of the world’s largest fleet of commercial satellites.

Watch as SpaceX test-fires Falcon 9 ahead of Starlink launch (members only)

January 4, 2020

Watch as SpaceX test fires a Falcon 9 rocket ahead of the planned launch of 60 more Starlink satellites.

SpaceX performs hold-down firing for heavyweight satellite launch Monday

December 13, 2019

A test-firing of a twice-flown Falcon 9 booster Friday at Cape Canaveral paved the way for SpaceX’s next launch, scheduled for Monday night with a heavyweight Boeing-built communications satellite to beam broadband signals to Japan and the Pacific islands.

Video: SpaceX test-fires Falcon 9 rocket at pad 40 (members only)

December 13, 2019

A hold-down test-firing of a Falcon 9 rocket Friday at Cape Canaveral marked a major step in preparations for SpaceX’s 13th mission of the year, scheduled for liftoff Monday with a commercial communications satellite.

Live coverage: Falcon 9 set for launch Monday from Cape Canaveral

December 13, 2019

SpaceX teams at Cape Canaveral raised a Falcon 9 rocket vertical at the Complex 40 launch pad and performed a static fire test Friday. The Falcon 9 will be used to launch a commercial geostationary communications satellite no earlier than Monday at 7:10 p.m. EST (0010 GMT Tuesday).

SpaceX test-fires Falcon 9 rocket for next space station cargo launch

November 26, 2019

A Falcon 9 booster fresh from SpaceX’s factory briefly fired its nine Merlin main engines Tuesday on a Cape Canaveral launch pad, passing a key test before liftoff Dec. 4 with a Dragon supply ship heading for the International Space Station.

Video: Falcon 9 test-fired before space station cargo launch (members only)

November 26, 2019

Watch a replay of the static fire test of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket Tuesday at Cape Canaveral’s Complex 40 launch pad. SpaceX is preparing to launch the rocket Dec. 4 on a space station resupply mission.

Live coverage: SpaceX to launch space station resupply craft Wednesday

November 26, 2019

Weather conditions at the surface will likely be favorable for the launch of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket Wednesday from Cape Canaveral, but upper level winds may pose a roadblock for the start of the company’s next space station resupply mission. SpaceX is targeting liftoff of the Falcon 9 from pad 40 at 12:51 p.m. EST (1751 GMT) Wednesday.