SpaceX fires up Falcon Heavy rocket ahead of Psyche asteroid mission launch

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The 'static fire' test occurred on Saturday (Sept. 30).

the 27 engines of a spacex falcon heavy rocket are seen up close inside a hangar.
The Falcon Heavy rocket that will launch NASA's Psyche asteroid mission is seen here in the hangar at Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The rocket was soon rolled out to the pad, where it performed a successful "static fire" test on Sept. 30, 2023. (Image credit: SpaceX)

SpaceX's powerful Falcon Heavy rocket has breathed fire again.

SpaceX conducted a "static fire" test of a Falcon Heavy on Saturday (Sept. 30) at NASA's Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida, the company announced on X (formerly Twitter). 

During Saturday's test, team members briefly ignited the rocket's 27 first-stage engines while keeping the vehicle anchored to the launch pad. The trial helped prep the Falcon Heavy for the launch of NASA's Psyche asteroid mission, which is scheduled to take place from KSC's Pad 39A on Oct. 12.

Related: NASA's Psyche asteroid probe on track for October launch after 1-year delay

That liftoff will send Psyche on a long journey to its namesake, a bizarre metallic object in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. 

If all goes according to plan, the probe will reach the asteroid Psyche in 2029, then study it from orbit for at least the next 26 months. The mission's observations could teach scientists a great deal about planet formation and the solar system's early days. Researchers think the asteroid Psyche may be the exposed core of a protoplanet, a building block whose cousins came together to build Earth and other rocky worlds long ago.

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The Falcon Heavy is the second-most powerful rocket currently in operation, after NASA's Space Launch System (though SpaceX's giant new Starship vehicle will become the champ when it comes online).

The Falcon Heavy has flown seven times to date, most recently in July. Psyche will be the rocket's first NASA mission.

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Mike Wall
Mike Wall
Senior Space Writer

Michael Wall is a Senior Space Writer with Space.com and joined the team in 2010. He primarily covers exoplanets, spaceflight and military space, but has been known to dabble in the space art beat. His book about the search for alien life, "Out There," was published on Nov. 13, 2018. Before becoming a science writer, Michael worked as a herpetologist and wildlife biologist. He has a Ph.D. in evolutionary biology from the University of Sydney, Australia, a bachelor's degree from the University of Arizona, and a graduate certificate in science writing from the University of California, Santa Cruz. To find out what his latest project is, you can follow Michael on Twitter.