SpaceX's first tests of its prototype Starship may start soon — and you can watch them live online, courtesy of a South Texas surf school.
SpaceX CEO Elon Musk confirmed on Twitter that tests of the Starship Hopper, which uses a single one of the company's Raptor engines, could begin as early as this week, and members of Boca Chica Village, near the SpaceX testing site east of Brownsville, Texas, also got notifications warning of potential tests this week. Eddie Treviño, a judge in Cameron County, told the Brownsville Herald yesterday (March 21) that SpaceX performed several fueling tests.
A livestreamed video of the test site, with the Starship Hopper in view, is currently available on Spadre.com, the website for a surf school on South Padre Island across from the test facility. The cameras are about 6 miles (10 kilometers) from SpaceX's facility.
Related: SpaceX Starship and Super Heavy Mars Rocket in Pictures
According to Texas Public Radio, South Padre Surf Company began its livestream in late January. This test will likely not show much; the spacecraft remains tethered to the ground and will only barely lift off, Musk has said on Twitter.
After these static-fire tests it will be time for suborbital tests, Gene Gore, owner and operator of South Padre Surf Company told Texas Public Radio. "That's when things are gonna get really interesting," he said.
- SpaceX Finishes Building 'Starship' Hopper Prototype (Photo)
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Email Sarah Lewin at slewin@space.com or follow her @SarahExplains. Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom and on Facebook.
