--- title: "Watch SpaceX Test-Fire the Starship Engine for the First Time" description: "## Blast Off" date: "2019-02-04" modified: "2019-02-04" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/spacex-raptor-starship-test-fire" categories: - "Space" - "SpaceX" - "Starship" tags: - "elon musk" - "mars" - "SpaceX" - "Starship" --- # Watch SpaceX Test-Fire the Starship Engine for the First Time ![SpaceX test fired its Raptor engine designed for its Starship spacecraft for the first time. And the videos are incredible.]() *\Image: SpaceX\* ## Blast Off SpaceX's next generation Raptor engine roared into action at its test site in McGregor, Texas, in a [video]() CEO Elon Musk posted on Twitter Sunday night. This particular iteration of SpaceX's Raptor engine will be used to launch the space company's gigantic stainless steel Starship into space — and eventually [to the Moon]() and beyond. ## To Infinity The new engine design will be responsible for getting the Starship spacecraft off the launch pad and boost it through the vacuum space. That's a surprising departure: so far, conventional rocket designs have used multiple stages, jettisoning fuel tanks and boosters as they ascend. It will also use methane as fuel — a choice SpaceX says will [improve performance](). And given that it's an [abundant resource]() on Mars, it could provide a convenient way back home. https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1092270756715737088 There will also be [two versions]() of the Raptor engine: one specialized for sea level and one for vacuum optimized thrust. A total of seven Raptor engines will blast off in unison to launch the final Starship design. ## Mars 2022 Last week Musk [tweeted some photos]() of the engine, adding that the company's new goal is to "reach the moon as fast as possible." The next steps for the new engine will be so-called "hop" tests at [relatively low altitudes](). If all goes well, Starship could start making its way **on a [cargo mission to Mars]()** as soon as 2022. But [budget cuts](), [severe weather](), and mounting costs could end up delaying that trip significantly. **READ MORE:** [SpaceX test fires the massive new engine for its next big rocket]() \[*The Verge*\] ***More on Starship: [Elon Musk’s New Goal: “Reach the Moon as Fast as Possible”]()*** ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()