Last month, we mentioned that SpaceX was starting to build the Super Heavy booster in preparations for Starship’s first orbital flight. The company was looking to get it up in the air ASAP. However, it was delayed due to the FAA not approving anything yet, bureaucratically taking much longer than SpaceX would like. However, that hasn’t stopped it from continuing on, despite warnings from the FAA that it was risky to continue building a structure that wasn’t approved yet. That the potential of having to tear it all back down was there if it doesn’t meet approval.
Construction of the tower and booster continued. A gamble toward getting things moving as quickly as possible. Now, the booster is completed and SpaceX has topped it with the Starship SN20 prototype. A massive visual and soon to (hopefully) break all records as the largest and most powerful rocket to ever be launched from Earth.
Currently, the FAA is working on its environmental review of the launch and all of the construction that has been happening. If approval is met, SpaceX will likely be launching SN20 on Super Heavy within the next month or two.
Super Heavy will have an impressive 32 Raptor engines that will be powering it (Starship SN20 will contain 6). There is no doubt that this will be heard by many when it launches. Here’s hoping that it happens.
