--- title: "Watch SpaceX Fire Up the Mighty Engines of Starship SN8" description: "SpaceX has fired up the three rocket engines of its Starship SN8 prototype for the second time last night at its testing facilities in Boca Chica, Texas." date: "2020-11-11" modified: "2020-11-11" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/spacex-fire-up-engines-starship-sn8" categories: - "Space" - "SpaceX" - "Starship" tags: - "SpaceX" - "Starship" - "the digest" --- # Watch SpaceX Fire Up the Mighty Engines of Starship SN8 ![SpaceX has fired up the three rocket engines of its Starship SN8 prototype for the second time last night at its testing facilities in Boca Chica, Texas.]() *\Image: BocaChicaGal/NASASpaceFlight\* ## Starship Fireworks SpaceX fired up the three rocket engines of its Starship SN8 prototype for the second time last night at its testing facilities in Boca Chica, Texas. The event was a powerful blast of orange smoke — and flying sparks, as captured by onlookers on video. https://youtu.be/GdP4y2kqJeg ## Static Fire SN8 also became the first ever Starship prototype to complete a static fire test with a nosecone. Its [initial static fire test]() with three Raptor engines on October 20 didn't feature the stainless steel dome. The event was the second of several upcoming static fire tests leading up to the prototype's planned test flight [to an altitude of nine miles]() or 50,000 feet. While the static fire test was a success, it's still unclear when SN8 will take flight. Videos of last night's test show sparks flying after ignition. SN8 survived the event, but we have yet to find out what caused the fireworks. Insiders suggest it could be bits of the platform itself, as [*Teslarati* reports](). ## Stacking Rockets Starship, standing 165 feet on its own, will eventually be making its way into space with the help of a massive Super Heavy booster — another 230 feet tall — which will feature around 30 rocket engines. The Elon Musk-led company has already [laid the groundwork]() for building the first booster prototype. **READ MORE:** [SpaceX's Starship SN8 prototype fires its engines for the 2nd time]() \[*Space.com*\] **More on Starship:** *[Starship Test Flight to 50,000 Feet Could Happen as Soon as Next Week]()* ## 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]()