--- title: "Elon Musk: First SpaceX Starship Booster Prototype “Almost Done”" description: "Almost Done According to a recent tweet by SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, the space company’s first prototype of its Starship booster Super Heavy is “almost done.” The massive rocket booster is meant to carry a prototype of SpaceX’s Mars-bound spacecraft into orbit as soon as this summer — that is, if all goes according to […]" date: "2021-06-25" modified: "2021-06-25" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/elon-musk-first-spacex-starship-booster-prototype-almost-done" categories: - "Elon Musk" - "Future Society" - "Space" - "SpaceX" - "Starship" - "The Industrialists" tags: - "SpaceX" - "Starship" - "super heavy" - "the digest" --- # Elon Musk: First SpaceX Starship Booster Prototype “Almost Done” ![According to a recent tweet by SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, the space company's first prototype of its Starship booster Super Heavy is "almost done."]() *\Image: SpaceX\* ## Almost Done According to a [recent tweet]() by SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, the space company's first flightworthy prototype of its Starship booster [Super Heavy]() is "almost done." The massive rocket booster is meant to carry a prototype of SpaceX's [Mars-bound Starship spacecraft]() into orbit [as soon as this summer]() — if, that is, all goes according to plan. "We’re almost done with first prototype booster," Musk tweeted. "This will go to test stand A. Next one will fly to orbit." This first one will likely be used for lower altitude test launches, just like we've seen with early Starship prototypes. In other words, SpaceX may be closer to flying its first Starship prototype than expected. ## Stacking Boosters While it's not technically the first Super Heavy prototype the company has built, it's the first flightworthy one. A previous Super Heavy "pathfinder" prototype, dubbed BN1, was almost instantly scrapped for parts once its build was complete, according to [*Teslarati*](). The company is planning to launch the first Starship prototype into orbit from its test facilities in Texas, later splashing down off the coast of an in island in Hawaii, as [outlined in a document]() filed with the Federal Communications Commission. The exact launch date is still unknown — and SpaceX still has plenty of work to do, so we should expect some more delays. **READ MORE:** [Elon Musk says SpaceX’s second Starship booster prototype is almost finished]() \[*Teslarati*\] **More on Super Heavy:** *[Elon Musk Shares New Pic of Giant Starship Rocket Booster]()* ## 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]()