These photos show how engineers with conducted testing on a 1.2% scale model of SpaceX’s Super Heavy Version 3 rocket booster at NASA’s Ames Research Center in California’s Silicon Valley. The tests focused on better understanding the extreme aerodynamic forces the rocket can experience during re-entry and builds on a previous test series completed at NASA Ames in 2024. NASA is working with SpaceX to develop the company’s Starship Human Landing System (HLS) to safely carry astronauts from lunar orbit to the Moon’s surface and back. The upgraded Super Heavy rocket booster is part of SpaceX’s Starship launch system.