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SpaceX’s first redesigned Raptor static fire paves the way for Starship’s hop test debut

The first finalized Raptor engine completed a (presumably) successful static fire debut on the evening of January 3rd, a major milestone for the BFR program. (SpaceX)

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7 years ago

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After years of development, multiple prototypes constructed, and more than 1200 seconds of cumulative static fire testing at durations longer than what is needed to land on Mars, SpaceX propulsion engineers and technicians have successfully built and static-fired the first flight-worthy Raptor for the first time ever.

This is an incredibly important step towards BFR (Starship/Super Heavy) launch operations and is even more directly encouraging for the first integrated hop tests of SpaceX’s Starship prototype (unofficially deemed Starhopper), which could very well be the next host of the pathfinder Raptor engine pictured below.

In the scope of SpaceX’s history designing, building, and optimizing large-scale rocket engines, Raptor’s development likely followed a similar path. While Merlin 1 operates on a dramatically simpler combustion cycle (gas-generator), uses different fuel (kerolox vs. methalox), and is significantly less powerful and efficient than Raptor (as proposed), the workhorse engine went through a range of dramatically different iterations (Merlin 1A, 1B, 1C, and 1D) and is scarcely recognizable when its earliest block is compared to its most recent version. Merlin 1A began as an ablatively cooled 340 kN (76,000 lbf) engine, while the current workhorse (generally known as Merlin 1D Full Thrust, M1D FT) features a regeneratively-cooled nozzle and produces more than 840 kN (190,000 lbf), nearly a threefold improvement in thrust.

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Raptor’s subscale prototype – featuring twice the chamber pressure of M1D (200 bar, ~3000 psi) and around the same maximum thrust as Merlin 1D (~1000 kN, 225,000 lbf) – can effectively be examined as the Merlin 1A to the Merlin 1C or 1D-class Raptor that SpaceX’s propulsion team settled on after learning from its smaller predecessors.

Performed on a Raptor-specific test cell at SpaceX’s McGregor, Texas “Rocket Ranch”, this milestone static fire was enabled by what one can safely assume were dozens or hundreds of lessons-learned over the course of two years of prototype engine testing and iterative improvement, working up to a quasi-final design that was shipped to Texas and installed just a few days ago. To kick off the first critical static fire of the pathfinder Raptor hardware, reports from ground observers indicate that SpaceX engineers began with a series of extremely short ‘blip’ tests that appeared perhaps 2-3 seconds from ignition to shutdown.

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Starhopper’s one-stop hop spot

The immensely encouraging news of Raptor Block 1’s first successful static fire comes as SpaceX engineers, technicians, and contractors work around the clock to build both the first full-scale Starship prototype (nicknamed Starhopper) and the spartan pad it will lift off from during hop tests. SpaceX’s Boca Chica facilities were marked by a burst of pad-related activity over the last week or two, including the early installation of a range of pipes (some of it insulated for supercool cryogenic methane and oxygen) and the creation of a berm pointing towards the probable location of Starhopper’s simple launch mount and pad. ‘

While the Starship prototype’s three Raptor engines will dramatically outclass Falcon 9’s Grasshopper and F9R development vehicles (also used for hop tests), it’s possible that the same setup – basically a flat (refractory?) concrete pad with GSE (ground support equipment) protected behind a berm and automated water jet turrets around the vicinity – could work for Starhopper, too. For now, the successful static fire of the first post-development Raptor engine marks a massive step towards those initial hop tests and towards the first orbital launches of Starship and Super Heavy a bit further down the road. Stay tuned as SpaceX continues to extensively test Raptor and build out its Boca Chica pad and Starship prototype.

Check out Teslarati’s newsletters for prompt updates, on-the-ground perspectives, and unique glimpses of SpaceX’s rocket launch and recovery processes!

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Eric Ralph is Teslarati's senior spaceflight reporter and has been covering the industry in some capacity for almost half a decade, largely spurred in 2016 by a trip to Mexico to watch Elon Musk reveal SpaceX's plans for Mars in person. Aside from spreading interest and excitement about spaceflight far and wide, his primary goal is to cover humanity's ongoing efforts to expand beyond Earth to the Moon, Mars, and elsewhere.

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Cybertruck

Tesla clears the air on Cybertruck ‘deactivation’ video that is obviously fake

Tesla has cleared the air on the viral video, stating it is fake.

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7 hours ago

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August 11, 2025

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Credit: Cybertruck | X

Tesla has cleared the air regarding a video that has been circulating, where the owner claims his Cybertruck was “deactivated” by the company while he was driving.

The video was shared on X and showed a driver pulled over on the side of the road, claiming his Cybertruck had been deactivated by Tesla in the middle of traffic. It is very obviously fake to those who know the company, but these kinds of things have a tendency to pick up steam.

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The video shows a screen that says:

“Tesla Cybertruck De-Activated. Critical Issue Detected | Contact Customer Service, Comply with Cease & Desist to Re-Activate. Update Failed, Return to Dealer.”

The same person who posted the video also shared an image of what appears to be a Cease and Desist letter from Tesla, but it is also likely fake:

The company finally responded to the video on Monday afternoon, stating that the video is, in fact, fake, reiterating that it will not disable vehicles remotely for any reason.

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It is a shame that these types of things happen, especially as people are prone to believe anything they see on the internet. As there is so much misinformation circulating surrounding Tesla and its CEO Elon Musk, it is no surprise that someone would leverage the situation for their own benefit.

If that Cease and Desist letter is not real, perhaps the next one might be. These types of things can truly cause damage to a company’s reputation, and someone getting an idea that Tesla would remotely deactivate a car could prevent them from buying one.

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Elon Musk

Elon Musk is stepping up for Tesla Service in a big way

Elon Musk has stepped up to resolve a handful of customer issues regarding vehicle service.

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9 hours ago

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August 11, 2025

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tesla service
Credit: Tesla

Elon Musk is stepping up to help customers in a big way, especially when they are having issues with Tesla’s Service.

Perhaps one of the biggest advantages Tesla owners have is access to Musk through X, his social media platform. Over the years, we’ve seen Tesla add features, refine its cars’ performance, and more, all through asking Musk directly through a post.

Now, Musk is stepping up in another way by resolving a few Service complaints that customers had.

The first occurred last week when a recall on a Tesla battery was not honored by Service. The company sought $30,000 for a replacement and labor, which was not right. Musk responded that he would personally investigate the matter. The vehicle was fixed at no cost as it was a recall, and was ready for pickup the next day.

It also revealed a new strategy Tesla is using to combat service communication issues:

Tesla creates clever solution to simplify and improve its Service

The next occurred with a Cybertruck owner who was in Japan. Their car was parked at an airport in the U.S. and had lost a vast majority of its state of charge, leaving them just fifty miles of range at the time.

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Musk reached out to the owner and said Service will take care of the car and will investigate the cause of the battery drain:

There are not too many companies out there where the CEO will get involved with individual issues like these. It’s pretty exclusive to Tesla, as Musk has commonly stepped up to resolve complaints with vehicles or to confront features that some owners might find useful.

Service has been a weak point of the company for some time, but it has worked to refine and resolve customer complaints by building more Service Centers across the world that can handle these issues.

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Elon Musk

Tesla CEO Elon Musk confirms Robotaxi is opening to the public: here’s when

Anyone will be able to request a Tesla Robotaxi in September, Elon Musk said this morning.

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10 hours ago

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August 11, 2025

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Credit: Joe Tegtmeyer | X

Tesla CEO Elon Musk has confirmed that the company’s Robotaxi platform is opening to the public, and he even gave a timeline for when anyone will be able to access one for a ride.

Tesla’s Robotaxi platform launched to a small group on June 22 in Austin, Texas. The company has continued to expand the number of riders and its geofence over the past month and a half.

Tesla officially launches Robotaxi service with no driver

Additionally, it launched rides in the Bay Area of California, but it differs slightly, as the Texas Robotaxi platform does not utilize a Safety Monitor in the driver’s seat. In California, the monitor sits in the driver’s seat.

As the geofence, service areas, and testing populations expand, Tesla fans are awaiting their elusive emails that enable their ability to use the Robotaxi platform. It now seems that the email will come soon, as Musk said Tesla will open up public access to Robotaxi next month:

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Tesla has been prioritizing safety over anything else with the launch of the Robotaxi platform, which is why it has been slow to push invitations to new riders. It is confident in the abilities of the platform and its Full Self-Driving suite, which has been proven with data.

However, even a single accident could set Tesla back years in terms of its development of self-driving cars. It is not a risk it is willing to take.

Musk said during the recent Q2 Earnings Call:

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“We need to make sure it works when the vehicles are fully under our control. It’s kind of one step at a time here. We don’t want to jump the gun. As I said, we’re being paranoid about safety. But I guess next year is I’d say confidently next year. I’m not sure when next year, but confidently next year, people would be able to add or subtract their car to the Tesla, Inc. fleet.”

As the platform will expand in Austin and the Bay Area for anyone, Tesla still continues to reiterate that Robotaxi will be available for everyone sometime next year, as Musk said in the quote above.

Things will continue to improve over time, and Tesla will likely expand its geofence in both regions in the coming weeks. It has already done that in Austin twice, with about a doubling in size occurring both times.

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