SpaceX test fires ‘pre-flown’ rocket
August 1, 2016
By Chris Forrester
A returned SpaceX Falcon-9 rocket has undergone a thorough test firing at the company’s McGregor, Texas, engineering facility, on July 28th.
The rocket, officially F9-S1-0024, was the unit used to successfully launch Japan’s JCSAT-14 satellite back on May 5th. The rocket’s important – and valuable – first stage complete with its 9 Merlin 1D engines was successfully brought back to its floating sea platform.
The tests included a full duration – but static – firing of the complete system to simulate the first-stage’s initial ‘burn’ of 2 minutes, 30 seconds.
Initial gossip from Texas suggests that all is going well with this particular test, as well as other test firings on other recovered SpaceX rockets.