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All 33 Raptor V3 Engines Ignite in Super Heavy Static Fire | KeepTrack X Report
SpaceX ignited all 33 next-gen Raptor V3 engines on the Super Heavy booster at Starbase, Texas, marking a critical milestone toward the next Starship flight.
Latest Developments
SpaceX has successfully completed a full 33-engine static fire of its upgraded Super Heavy booster equipped with next-generation Raptor V3 engines at Starbase, Texas — a defining moment on the road to the next integrated Starship flight test. The Raptor V3 variant promises meaningfully higher thrust and improved reliability over its predecessors, and a simultaneous ignition of all 33 units represents the most demanding ground qualification the booster can undergo before flight. With the Starlink constellation now standing at 11,955 satellites launched, 10,374 in orbit, and 10,358 operational, the cadence and scale of future Starship-launched batches will hinge directly on how quickly this vehicle graduates from the pad to the sky. All eyes are now on SpaceX’s integration timeline as the full Starship stack — booster and Ship — inches toward its next launch attempt.
Space Safety
The current Starlink conjunction threat picture reveals four moderate-risk events within the April 2026 timeframe, with no high-risk conjunctions currently identified. The highest-probability event involves STARLINK-33563 and COSMOS 2251 DEB (a non-operational debris object) on April 13, 2026, with a 39.7% collision probability and only 12 meters minimum approach distance. Additionally, two Starlink satellites—STARLINK-6070 and STARLINK-34061—are currently tracked for imminent reentry in early May 2026, both with ±1-day decay uncertainty windows.
| Risk | Starlink Sat | Other Object | Status | Min Range (km) | Rel Speed (km/s) | Max Prob | Time of Closest Approach |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MODERATE | STARLINK-33563 | COSMOS 2251 DEB | Non-operational | 0.012 | 11.318 | 0.3973 | Apr 13, 21:44 UTC |
| MODERATE | STARLINK-5601 | DELTA 1 DEB | Non-operational | 0.014 | 8.499 | 0.3479 | Apr 11, 06:26 UTC |
| MODERATE | STARLINK-33680 | FLOCK 4G-17 | Operational | 0.024 | 12.627 | 0.1287 | Apr 9, 13:55 UTC |
| MODERATE | STARLINK-35339 | THEA | Operational | 0.022 | 14.11 | 0.1272 | Apr 11, 01:33 UTC |
| LOW | STARLINK-32841 | YAOGAN-43 01D | Operational | 0.038 | 9.497 | 0.0672 | Apr 11, 14:30 UTC |
| LOW | STARLINK-36431 | WT 1B | Unknown | 0.052 | 1.153 | 0.0450 | Apr 14, 13:45 UTC |
| LOW | STARLINK-32376 | OBJECT AD | Operational | 0.046 | 11.243 | 0.0441 | Apr 12, 08:38 UTC |
| LOW | STARLINK-30245 | SL-19 R/B | Non-operational | 0.037 | 14.371 | 0.0441 | Apr 7, 16:55 UTC |
| LOW | STARLINK-35657 | ION SCV-008 | Operational | 0.041 | 13.969 | 0.0390 | Apr 12, 19:09 UTC |
| LOW | STARLINK-31383 | TEVEL2-7 | Operational | 0.038 | 14.746 | 0.0384 | Apr 8, 19:55 UTC |
| Satellite | NORAD ID | Predicted Decay | Window (min) | Inclination | Lat | Lon |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| STARLINK-6070 | 56802 | May 9, 21:45 UTC | 1440 | 70° | 22.6° | 323.7° |
| STARLINK-34061 | 63876 | May 10, 01:46 UTC | 1440 | 70° | 11.4° | 357.4° |
Detailed Coverage
33 Raptor V3 Engines Roar Simultaneously in Milestone Super Heavy Static Fire
SpaceX lit up the South Texas night by firing all 33 Raptor V3 engines on its latest Super Heavy booster in a full-duration static fire at Starbase. The test is designed to validate the integrated performance of the upgraded powerplant cluster under flight-representative conditions, confirming that engine-to-engine interactions, propellant feed systems, and thrust vector control all behave as expected before the vehicle ever leaves the ground.
The Raptor V3 engine represents SpaceX’s most refined iteration yet, offering increased chamber pressure and sea-level thrust compared to the V2 engines that powered earlier Starship flights. A clean 33-engine ignition dramatically raises confidence for the upcoming integrated flight test, where the Super Heavy must deliver flawless performance through max-q and boostback burn before attempting a tower catch. Observers and tracking communities will be watching closely for the stack’s next milestones — nose cone installation, Ship mating, and ultimately a launch license from the FAA.
Read the full story: Space.com
Constellation Status
The Starlink constellation has remained stable since the last check, with no new launches or orbital changes. The constellation currently consists of 11,955 total launched satellites, of which 10,374 remain in orbit, 10,358 are actively working, and 1,581 have decayed from their operational orbits.
- Total Launched: 11955
- Total On Orbit: 10374
- Total Working: 10358
Track Starlink satellites in real-time: Track Starlink
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