Ready to rock
SpaceX had previously conducted limited hot fire tests of the Super Heavy Booster 7 prototype, including a 10-second test on November 14, 2022, in which 14 Raptor engines were set alight. For the latest test, and as before, the Starship upper stage spacecraft was not placed atop the booster.
The image above, captured by a NASASpaceflight camera, shows Booster 7 a few milliseconds prior to the engines engaging. A neat thing about this image is how clearly visible the frost is on the booster exterior. Fascinatingly, you can see that SpaceX chose to partially fill the stage with super-chilled liquid methane, as the frost line stops shortly above the half-way mark.
