--- title: "SpaceX Shares Spicy Video of Its Mars Rocket Being Tested" description: "SpaceX has shared an exciting new 90-second montage dubbed \"Gateway to Mars\" of its gigantic Starship spacecraft prototypes being tested." date: "2021-10-25" modified: "2021-10-25" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/spacex-video-mars-rocket-being-tested" categories: - "Astronomy" - "Mars" - "Space" - "SpaceX" tags: - "SpaceX" - "Starship" - "the digest" --- # SpaceX Shares Spicy Video of Its Mars Rocket Being Tested ![SpaceX has shared an exciting new 90-second montage dubbed "Gateway to Mars" of its gigantic Starship spacecraft prototypes being tested.]() *\Image: SpaceX/Futurism\* ## Gateway to Mars SpaceX has shared a new 90-second montage dubbed "Gateway to Mars," showing its Starship spacecraft prototypes being built, launched, and safely returned back to the surface. It's a reminder of how far the company has come in realizing its vision. The footage shows several early iterations of the Mars-bound launch vehicle being put through their paces — albeit without the ensuing massive explosions, since on more than one occasion, the prototypes didn't survive their return journey, either making a [hard landing](), [blowing up in mid-air](), or exploding on [impact with the ground](). https://twitter.com/SpaceX/status/1452062147479883776 ## Going Orbital But SpaceX has come a long way since those fireballs. In May, the fifth full-scale prototype, called SN15, [managed to stick the landing](). Fast forward several months, and the company has [installed a massive tower]() meant to catch both Starship and its Super Heavy booster. On Thursday night, the first orbital-class Starship prototype [lit up for the first time]() during a static fire test featuring a Raptor engine designed to carry the behemoth through the vacuum of outer space for the first time. The test set the stage for SpaceX's first test flight to orbit in the coming months, though when that will actually happen is still unclear. The Federal Aviation Administration is still in the midst of [completing its environmental assessment]() of Starship's orbital test site. But the day can't come soon enough — it's going to be a sight. **READ MORE:** [SpaceX shows off its 'Gateway to Mars' for Starship launches in video]() \[*Space.com*\] **More on Starship:** *[SpaceX Opponents Complain About Falling Debris, Fires in FAA Hearing]()* ## 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]()