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SpaceX aborts several Starship static fire attempts, rolls test tank to the pad
Accidentally producing the polar opposite of Starship serial number 9 (SN9) completing a trio of Raptor ignition tests in four hours last week, SpaceX has now suffered three back-to-back static fire aborts on January 20th.
On January 13th, Starship SN9 somewhat successfully ignited its Raptor engines three separate times with zero hands-on human intervention or inspection. While an impressive feat, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk soon revealed that two of the rocket’s three engines were damaged during the test campaign. NASASpaceflight.com later reported that the company had detected an issue with one Raptor after the first three-engine static fire, ultimately firewalling it and performing the next two static fires with only two engines.
SpaceX initially allotted five days to replace the two damaged Raptors (SN44 & SN46), scheduling road closures (a telltale sign of test plans) on January 18th, 19th, and 20th. Windows on the 18th and 19th went by with zero attempts. Finally, on the 20th, SpaceX kicked off Starship SN9’s first real test attempt since the engine swap around 2pm but it was aborted by 3pm.
After an extremely brisk recycle, Starship likely made it less than a minute away from ignition but the second attempt was ultimately aborted around 3:40 pm.
Two hours later, after SpaceX extended the end of its road closure from 5pm to 8pm, Starship SN9’s third Raptor static fire attempt was also aborted – once again just a minute or less away from ignition.
SpaceX held Starship SN9 for another hour or so after the third abort but ultimately began final detanking and depressurization around 6:50 pm, marking the end of the day’s attempts.
It’s impossible to say what caused Wednesday’s back-to-back-to-back aborts or if the three instances were connected. While potentially frustrating to watch from the sidelines, it’s crucial to remember that the public is getting a truly unprecedented continuous view of SpaceX’s process of developing and refining a world-class launch vehicle. Additionally, every abort Starship suffers should theoretically produce volumes of valuable data that both Starship and Raptor teams can use to better understand how to design, build, test, and operate the cutting-edge vehicle and its engines.
More likely than not, SpaceX is leaning towards caution (and thus cautious hardware and software limits) while attempting to prepare Starship SN9 for its true data-gathering purpose – an SN8-style high-altitude launch and landing attempt.
SpaceX is currently scheduled to try again with another series of Starship SN9 static fire attempts between 8am and 5pm CST (UTC-6) on Thursday, January 21st.
Meanwhile, prior to SN9’s multiple Wednesday aborts, SpaceX rolled the latest in a series of Starship ‘test tanks’ from the factory to the launch pad. A team rapidly strapped the tank to the concrete pad and connected it to ground support equipment in preparation for a series of tests that will likely end with SpaceX intentionally pressurizing the tank until its bursts. If successful, it will open the door for future Starships to save weight by cutting steel skin thickness from 4mm to 3mm.
Stay tuned for updates on both active test campaigns.
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Armored Tesla Cybertruck “War Machine” debuts at Defense Expo 2025
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Tesla Megapacks chosen for 548 MWh energy storage project in Japan
Tesla plans to supply over 100 Megapack units to support a large stationary storage project in Japan, making it one of the country’s largest energy storage facilities.
Tesla’s Megapack grid-scale batteries have been selected to back an energy storage project in Japan, coming as the latest of the company’s continued deployment of the hardware.
As detailed in a report from Nikkei this week, Tesla plans to supply 142 Megapack units to support a 548 MWh storage project in Japan, set to become one of the country’s largest energy storage facilities. The project is being overseen by financial firm Orix, and it will be located at a facility Maibara in central Japan’s Shiga prefecture, and it aims to come online in early 2027.
The deal is just the latest of several Megapack deployments over the past few years, as the company continues to ramp production of the units. Tesla currently produces the Megapack at a facility in Lathrop, California, though the company also recently completed construction on its second so-called “Megafactory” in Shanghai China and is expected to begin production in the coming weeks.
READ MORE ON TESLA MEGAPACKS: Tesla Megapacks help power battery supplier Panasonic’s Kyoto test site
Tesla’s production of the Megapack has been ramping up at the Lathrop facility since initially opening in 2022, and both this site and the Shanghai Megafactory are aiming to eventually reach a volume production of 10,000 Megapack units per year. The company surpassed its 10,000th Megapack unit produced at Lathrop in November.
During Tesla’s Q4 earnings call last week, CEO Elon Musk also said that the company is looking to construct a third Megafactory, though he did not disclose where.
Last year, Tesla Energy also had record deployments of its Megapack and Powerwall home batteries with a total of 31.4 GWh of energy products deployed for a 114-percent increase from 2023.
Other recently deployed or announced Megapack projects include a massive 600 MW/1,600 MWh facility in Melbourne, a 75 MW/300 MWh energy storage site in Belgium, and a 228 MW/912 MWh storage project in Chile, along with many others still.
What are your thoughts? Let me know at zach@teslarati.com, find me on X at @zacharyvisconti, or send us tips at tips@teslarati.com.
Tesla highlights the Megapack site replacing Hawaii’s last coal plant
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Elon Musk responds to Ontario canceling $100M Starlink deal amid tariff drama
Ontario Premier Doug Ford said, opens new tab on February 3 that he was “ripping up” his province’s CA$100 million agreement with Starlink in response to the U.S. imposing tariffs on Canadian goods.
Elon Musk company SpaceX is set to lose a $100 million deal with the Canadian province of Ontario following a response to the Trump administration’s decision to apply 25 percent tariffs to the country.
Starlink, a satellite-based internet service launched by the Musk entity SpaceX, will lose a $100 million deal it had with Ontario, Premier Doug Ford announced today.
Starting today and until U.S. tariffs are removed, Ontario is banning American companies from provincial contracts.
Every year, the Ontario government and its agencies spend $30 billion on procurement, alongside our $200 billion plan to build Ontario. U.S.-based businesses will…
— Doug Ford (@fordnation) February 3, 2025
Ford said on X today that Ontario is banning American companies from provincial contracts:
“We’ll be ripping up the province’s contract with Starlink. Ontario won’t do business with people hellbent on destroying our economy. Canada didn’t start this fight with the U.S., but you better believe we’re ready to win it.”
It is a blow to the citizens of the province more than anything, as the Starlink internet constellation has provided people in rural areas across the globe stable and reliable access for several years.
Musk responded in simple terms, stating, “Oh well.”
Oh well https://t.co/1jpMu55T6s
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 3, 2025
It seems Musk is less than enthused about the fact that Starlink is being eliminated from the province, but it does not seem like all that big of a blow either.
As previously mentioned, this impacts citizens more than Starlink itself, which has established itself as a main player in reliable internet access. Starlink has signed several contracts with various airlines and maritime companies.
It is also expanding to new territories across the globe on an almost daily basis.
With Mexico already working to avoid the tariff situation with the United States, it will be interesting to see if Canada does the same.
The two have shared a pleasant relationship, but President Trump is putting his foot down in terms of what comes across the border, which could impact Americans in the short term.
Armored Tesla Cybertruck “War Machine” debuts at Defense Expo 2025
Tesla Megapacks chosen for 548 MWh energy storage project in Japan
