Forget the Super Bowl, SpaceX just fired its Mars rocket engine

Enlarge / The first test firing of a flight version of SpaceX's Raptor rocket engine. (credit: Elon Musk/Twitter)
Elon Musk has been at SpaceX's test site for its rocket engines in central Texas this weekend. The facility near McGregor is where the company both tests Merlin engines for Falcon 9 flights and also performs some experimental firings.
Due to a variety of reasons, including financial pressures, SpaceX is pushing hard on the development of its next-generation Super Heavy rocket and Starship spacecraft. This push was evidenced this weekend when, at 1:15am Central Time on Sunday morning, Musk shared a nighttime picture of himself on the test stand at McGregor, saying, 'with engineering team getting ready to fire new Raptor rocket engine.' It was the dead of night on Super Bowl weekend, and they were working on an engine that won't go into space for a few years. But that didn't matter.

The test itself appears to have taken place later on Sunday. Eyewitness reports in Central Texas noted a large pop on Sunday evening, and more later Sunday night. Musk himself tweeted a photo shortly before 10pm local time, and thereafter a video. The test firing itself lasts for a few seconds, and was evidently successful. 'First firing of Starship Raptor flight engine! So proud of great work by @SpaceX team!!' Musk wrote.
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