SpaceX Starship B20 Fire Test Broke Record, Countdown Begins! Here's Timeline until Lift-off…

I bet you thought you knew what fast and furious meant. But SpaceX has just taken Super Heavy testing to the next level. Its latest static fire set a new record and moved B-20 one step closer to Flight 13. But the story didn't end there. B-20 is already heading back to the production site raising one big question. What's next before Starship flies again? Meanwhile, ISAR Aerospace is expanding to Canada, while Blue Origin is preparing to raise billions of dollars for its next phase of growth. What do these developments reveal about the rapidly evolving space race? Let's dive in on today's episode of Great SpaceX to find out. It's been about a month since B-20 completed its cryogenic proof test and more than a week since S-40's full duration static fire. Giving anticipation plenty of time to build ahead of Super Heavy's turn. Of course, this test is just one milestone in Starship's much larger development journey. So if you want to follow that progress day by day, make sure you're subscribed to the channel. Where one click helps you stay among the first to hear about the latest SpaceX and Aerospace developments as they happen. Even if the wait has felt long, SpaceX has been moving at an incredibly aggressive pace behind the scenes as it pushes to stay on schedule for the current July 15th launch window. After arriving at the launch site on the afternoon of July 9th, B-20 was lifted onto the orbital launch mount, where engineers immediately began preparing for its scheduled static fire the following day. From there, the team worked through a carefully choreographed sequence of pre-test operations that involved connecting the booster QD, venting the vehicle, moving the transport stand away from the launch mount, and raising the chopsticks into position, all in preparation for what would become the most ambitious Super Heavy static fire yet. As countdown operations continued, propellant loading got underway with clouds of venting vapor surrounding the booster while frost steadily spread across both propellant tanks. As expected, the liquid oxygen tank appeared fully loaded while the liquid methane tank carried a smaller but still sufficient load to support the planned engine ignition. Then at approximately 9.54 AM, the moment finally arrived as all 33 Raptor engines ignited simultaneously, producing more than 9,000 metric tons of thrust and shaking Starbase with extraordinary force. SpaceX captured the event from nearly every angle imaginable, releasing breathtaking footage from drones, ground cameras, side perspectives, and distant tracking shots, while summarizing the achievement with a simple statement. Full duration, 33-engine static fire of the Super Heavy V3. The sheer power was impossible to miss as the ground trembled violently and nearby cameras visibly shook, with some even tipping over under the immense force. Yet perhaps the most impressive performance wasn't the booster itself, but the launch pad, which endured one of the most powerful static fires ever conducted while the orbital launch mount and flame trench performed exactly as designed. But the biggest surprise came after engineers checked the clock. A typical 33-engine Super Heavy static fire lasts around 14 seconds or less, yet this one continued for roughly 25 seconds, nearly twice as long as previous full engine tests, making it the longest Super Heavy static fire ever conducted. The extended burn wasn't simply about breaking a record, it demonstrated SpaceX's growing confidence in the improvements made to the Raptor engine fleet following the issues encountered with B19 during Flight 12. A longer firing allows engineers to evaluate engine durability under sustained high power operation, observe longer thermal cycles, verify thrust stability, monitor gimbal performance, and collect significantly more data than shorter tests can provide. If that impressed you as much as it impressed us, share in the excitement by commenting WOW down below. Perhaps the best part is the test appears to have gone exactly as planned, with SpaceX reporting no significant anomalies following the firing. Once the engines shut down, the team quickly transitioned into post-test operations by reopening road access, rolling the transport stand back beneath the booster, safely detanking the remaining propellant, lowering the chopsticks to secure the vehicle, and resetting the ship QD system. Interestingly, SpaceX also carried out a landing rail test, another indication that engineers are continuing to refine the ground systems just as aggressively as the rocket itself. Now attention shifts toward the next major question. What happens before launch? Will B20 remain on the pad, or will it return to the production site? The latest road closure notice announced a transport window from 2 in the morning to 8 AM on the 11th for traffic traveling from the launch site back to the production site within that 6-hour time frame. At the moment, B20 appears to be the only obvious candidate for that move, leaving two realistic scenarios. The first is the more straightforward option. B20 could be removed from the launch mount and transported back to Megabay 1, where engineers would spend a day or two carrying out detailed inspections and installing the flight termination system before returning it to the pad. If everything checks out, the booster could be back at the launch site around the 14th ready to be stacked with S40 ahead of Flight 13. The second possibility is even more intriguing. Despite the road closure notice, there were visibly no initial signs that B20 was preparing to leave the pad. Instead, the chopsticks opened and climbed back to the top of the tower, a sequence that's typically associated with additional testing rather than rolled back operations. Could another test be on the horizon? At this point, your guess is as good as mine. If B20 remains at the launch site, SpaceX could complete inspections and final preparations directly on the pad, eliminating an unnecessary trip back to the factory and helping keep the current launch schedule intact. S40 is also a critical piece of the puzzle, a recent testing notice for Massey's briefly fueled speculation that another static fire campaign might be coming. However, the associated road closure between the production site and Massey's was later cancelled, and no replacement schedule has been announced, making the next step less clear. Whatever SpaceX ultimately decides, S40 will need to arrive at the launch pad soon so it can be stacked atop B20 in preparation for Flight 13. After that, the timeline becomes much harder to predict. Will SpaceX conduct a full wet dress rehearsal before launch, or will it decide to skip that step altogether? So what do you think? Has today's progress changed your prediction for Flight 13's launch date? Let me know your thoughts in the comment section down below. Now, let's turn our attention to another fast-growing launch company. ISAR Aerospace has taken a major step toward expanding its international launch capabilities. The German company has signed an agreement with Maritime Launch Services, or MLS for short, to establish operations at Spaceport Nova Scotia in Canada, giving it a second launch site alongside its existing facility in Norway. Under the agreement, ISAR will lease the launch complex for 10 years in a deal worth approximately $150 million, with the option to extend the lease for another 10 years. Construction is expected to begin later this year, with the company's first Canadian orbital launch targeted for 2028. The partnership allows ISAR to develop launch infrastructure tailored for its Spectrum rocket, while MLS provides stage integration, payload processing, testing, and mission control. Explaining the significance of the project, ISAR's VP of Mission and Launch Operations, Alexandre Dalleneau, said, Canada is the next step in our roadmap to bring full end-to-end launch capability to sovereign nations, and we are proud to be doing it here, in and together with Canada. Looking ahead, ISAR hopes the Nova Scotia facility will eventually support up to 40 launches per year by 2029. Stéphane Mathieu, President and CEO of Maritime Launch Services, shared that vision, saying, By combining ISAR Aerospace's launch vehicle Spectrum with Spaceport Nova Scotia's licensed infrastructure, we are creating the conditions for reliable orbital launch services from Canada. Designed as a multi-user commercial spaceport, Spaceport Nova Scotia can expand as additional launch providers arrive, joining other Canadian orbital launch initiatives, including infrastructure under development by Nord Space. Of course, ISAR still has an important hurdle to overcome. Its first Spectrum launch from Andoja Spaceport in Norway in March of 2025 ended just seconds after liftoff when the rocket lost control, tumbled, and crashed. Since then, repeated weather and technical delays have postponed the company's second launch attempt. Even so, ISAR continues pushing forward. Now, ISAR must prove it can turn that ambition into reliable, consistent orbital launches. Finally, back in the United States, Blue Origin is preparing for perhaps its biggest financial milestone yet. According to recent reports, Jeff Bezos' company is preparing to raise up to $10 billion through its first-ever round of outsider investment with KOTU Management reportedly among the leading potential investors. The funding would primarily support Blue Origin's two biggest business areas – launch services and satellite constellations. Although neither Blue Origin nor KOTU has officially confirmed the investment, CEO Dave Limp strongly hinted at the plan in an internal memo sent to employees on the 8th of July. He wrote, This has been in the works for some time and represents confidence in our mission, our strategy and most importantly the work each of you has done to build Blue into the company it is today. Limp said more details will be shared during an employee town hall later this month. If completed, this would be the first time Blue Origin has accepted outside investment. For more than 25 years, Bezos has personally funded the company, historically selling about $1 billion worth of Amazon stock each year, though that amount has grown as Blue Origin has expanded. During a CNBC interview in May, Bezos said, We finally have enough visibility into our future and our financial success. It's a good time actually to start thinking about the future and bring on some other outside investors. The timing makes sense. Blue Origin is rebuilding LC36 after the May 28th New Glenn explosion, increasing New Glenn production, expanding its lunar programs and investing heavily in space infrastructure. The company has told NASA's Office of Inspector General that it aims for 50 New Glenn launches annually by 2030, increasing to more than 120 per year by 2035. It also remains a key Artemis partner. At the recent Space Tide conference, a company executive revealed that seven Blue Moon lunar landers are in development, including vehicles for future crewed lunar missions. Blue Origin's satellite ambitions are equally aggressive. In January, it unveiled TerraWave, a broadband constellation of more than 5,400 satellites. In March, it filed an FCC application for Project Sunrise, an orbital data center constellation of up to 51,600 satellites. Together, these plans show Blue Origin is positioning itself for a much larger role across the commercial space industry. And that brings us to the end of today's episode. Thank you so much for tuning in. As always, this has been Kevin from GreatSpaceX, and until next time, keep looking up!