---
title: "Elon Musk Shows Off Underside of Gigantic New Starship Prototype"
description: "On Twitter, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk showed off a picture of the underside of the SN8 Starship prototype, featuring three massive Raptor engines."
date: "2020-10-14"
modified: "2020-10-14"
authors:
  - name: "Victor Tangermann"
    job_title: "Senior Editor"
    link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor"
url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/elon-musk-shows-off-underside-starship-prototype"
categories:
  - "Elon Musk"
  - "Future Society"
  - "Space"
  - "SpaceX"
  - "Starship"
  - "The Industrialists"
tags:
  - "elon musk"
  - "SpaceX"
  - "Starship"
  - "the digest"
---

# Elon Musk Shows Off Underside of Gigantic New Starship Prototype

![On Twitter, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk showed off a picture of the underside of the SN8 Starship prototype, featuring three massive Raptor engines.](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/elon-musk-shows-off-underside-starship-prototype.jpg>)
*\<em\>Image: \<a href="https://twitter.com/Neopork85/status/1315717459316482050" target="\_blank"\>Neopork via Twitter\</a\>\</em\>*

## Echo, Echo...

SpaceX's latest Starship prototype, dubbed SN8, is getting awfully close to attempting its maiden voyage to an altitude of 12 miles — a lot further than its predecessors' "hops" to just 150 meters, roughly 500 feet, over the last few months.

The gigantic prototype looks a bit different thanks to two aerodynamic flaps on either side. It will also eventually get a nosecone before attempting its first flight, but only after several static fire tests, [according to ](<https://www.teslarati.com/spacex-starship-first-three-raptor-engine-static-fire/>)*[Teslarati](<https://www.teslarati.com/spacex-starship-first-three-raptor-engine-static-fire/>),* to keep costs in case of a failure to a minimum.

On Twitter this morning, CEO Elon Musk showed off a picture of the underside of the behemoth with three Raptor engines nestling in the cavernous space.

https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1316308998283460609

## Raptors on Raptors

The 50 meter upper stage is designed to hold six Raptor engines — three for zipping through the upper atmosphere and the other three designed for the vacuum of space. Starship's first "Super Heavy" booster stage is designed to eventually be outfitted with almost 30 of them.

Before SN8 takes off, SpaceX will likely perform at least two static fire tests — the first time three Raptors will have been fired at the same time — and several "wet dress rehearsals" using the Raptor engine's preburner, according to *Teslarati*.

## Backup Starships

It's still unclear when the test flight will occur, but SN8 has already "passed cryo proof," according to an [October 9 tweet](<https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1314462047304847360>) by Musk, meaning that it can safely hold a full load of liquid nitrogen.

Even if it fails, SpaceX is already building its three next prototypes, dubbed SN9, SN10, and SN11.

Some eagle-eyed observers at the company's testing site in Boca Chica, Texas have even spotted rocket parts with the label "SN14" on them, as [*NASA Spaceflight* reports](<https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2020/10/sn8-raptors-prelude-advanced-starship-testing/>), suggesting many more prototypes are already in the works as well.

**READ MORE:** [SpaceX Starship prototype gearing up for first static fire with three Raptor engines](<https://www.teslarati.com/spacex-starship-first-three-raptor-engine-static-fire/>) \[*Teslarati*\]

**More on Starship:** *[SpaceX Is Having Trouble With the Neighbors of Its Spaceport](<https://futurism.com/the-byte/spacex-having-trouble-trouble-neighbors-spaceport>)*

## 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](<https://bsky.app/profile/vtanger.bsky.social>)