Watch: Starship Prototype Completes Key Milestone Ahead Of 2nd Flight

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk said on Tuesday that the company has completed a key milestone ahead of Starship’s second flight.

What Happened: The CEO retweeted a 11-second short video shared by SpaceX of Ship 25 completing a six-engine static fire test at Starbase, Texas. Ship 25 is the name of the Starship prototype which will make the second flight test.

Last week, Ship 25 completed a flight-like chill and spin of the raptor engine pumps and stopped right before engine ignition, checking out vital systems ahead of static fire.

Why It Matters: On Saturday, Musk highlighted the significant changes made since the first flight of Starship during a discussion on Twitter Spaces with journalist and author Ashlee Vance. The CEO said that he estimates the second flight test to occur in six weeks and sees a 60% chance for the next flight to reach orbit, contingent on the success of stage separation.

SpaceX attempted the first flight of Starship on April 20 and the rocket exploded in less than four minutes after takeoff. Despite the outcome, Musk deemed the test a success.

The company has already applied for a Federal Communications Commission permit to allow it to carry out a second test flight and experimental recovery operation for a period of six months beginning June 15th.

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