SpaceX continues its rapid Starship development cadence, with Booster 20 completing a critical cryogenic proof test while Ship 40 moves toward its own static fire milestone. The progress comes roughly three weeks after the successful completion of Flight 12, signaling the company's push to maintain an aggressive launch tempo.
Booster 20's cryo test involved filling the massive propellant tanks with super-chilled liquid oxygen and liquid methane to verify structural integrity under extreme thermal and pressure conditions. This ground test is a prerequisite before the booster can be cleared for a static fire of its 33 Raptor engines, which typically follows within days or weeks.
Ship 40, meanwhile, is being prepared for its own static fire campaign at the orbital launch site in Boca Chica, Texas. The vehicle represents an iterative improvement over previous Ships, incorporating lessons learned from Flight 12 and earlier missions. The exact number of Raptor engines to be mounted on Ship 40 has not been disclosed by SpaceX.
Flight 12, which occurred approximately three weeks ago, demonstrated significant progress in both booster recovery and ship reentry performance. That mission included a successful booster landing — a key goal for SpaceX's reusable launch system. With two more vehicles advancing through ground testing, the company appears on track for its next integrated test flight, though no official launch date has been announced.
The rapid turnaround between flights underscores SpaceX's ambition to eventually achieve daily or weekly Starship launches. However, each test flight operates under an experimental permit from the FAA, and regulatory approvals remain a variable that could affect the schedule for Booster 20 and Ship 40's combined mission.