Over the past 24 hours, SpaceX has conducted two static fire tests of the Starship S42 spacecraft. According to the Starbase Live broadcast and company reports, on October 27, 2026, a single Raptor engine was ignited at the launch complex in Boca Chica, Texas, followed approximately 24 hours later, on the night of October 28, by a second test involving all six engines simultaneously. In both cases, the duration of the tests was about 15 seconds, which corresponds to the standard procedure for checking the propulsion group's operability prior to launch.
Preparation Stage for Flight 15
Both static fire tests represent another step in preparing Starship S42 for the Flight 15 mission — the fifteenth flight of the Starship system. The exact date of the next launch has not been announced at the time of publication: as a rule, the company determines the launch window only after completing the full cycle of pre-launch checks, including fueling and final static fire tests. The successful completion of two consecutive burns without failures suggests that the ship's propulsion group is ready to move to the next preparation stage.
Super Heavy B22 Booster Already Tested
As part of preparations for the same mission earlier — last Sunday, October 25 — SpaceX conducted successful static fire tests of the Super Heavy B22 booster. Thus, both stages of the upcoming Flight 15 configuration — the S42 spacecraft and the B22 booster — have undergone separate hot-fire checks, which is a standard and mandatory requirement prior to a joint launch.
Unpleasant Surprise at the McGregor Test Site
However, while the main components of the spacecraft are undergoing checks without significant difficulties, certain infrastructure elements continue to present unpleasant surprises. An explosion of a Composite Overwrapped Pressure Vessel (COPV) occurred at SpaceX's test facility in McGregor, Texas. Such vessels are used in fuel and oxidizer storage and supply systems; the incident at the ground facility does not directly affect Starship S42 or Super Heavy B22, but it requires investigation and verification of similar components during pre-launch preparations.
What's Next
The next logical step after two successful burns will be the continuation of pre-launch preparations: integration of the spacecraft and booster, fueling cycles, and final checks. SpaceX traditionally does not disclose exact timelines until these stages are completed, so the Flight 15 date will be announced separately. For observers, the key indicator of readiness remains the sequence of static fire tests, which the company is maintaining in routine order.
