16 March, 2025

Seven Nova 1C engines, fueled by methane and liquid oxygen, ignited at about 18:30 local time Saturday for a one and a half minute "partial duration" static test.

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The test was designed to simulate half of the first stage burn of the booster. The 33 metre tall prototype stage was secured to a 18 metre concrete stand designed to withstand the 567,000 kilograms of thrust produced by the engines.

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"We got through this amazing test, months of work preparing the stage and ground hardware, the full mission-length test firing will be the final major hurdle for the Acheron first stage before launch." said Kwingo, founder, CEO and chief technology officer of Celestial Space Corp.

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Engineers are studying data from the test, but early results indicate everything was successful, according to Jane Doe, vice president of communications at CSC.

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Acheron is a key part of Celestial’s proposal to fill the gaps in Europe’s space capabilities, it will carry cargo and crew to orbit, competing with US fleets. The heavy-lift rocket will haul the company's own Enceladus spacecraft into orbit for human spaceflight and research missions.

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The Nova-1C engine is the major part of this future. Developed entirely in house, the LOX/CH4 engine is a full flow staged combustion cycle that has deep throttle capability, regenerative cooling, and many more upgrades from the previous line of smaller scaled Nova engines. The engine’s configuration will allow for future recovery and reuse of the first stage. 

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Saturday’s test comes after months of subsystem checks, cold flows, and individual engine firings, culminating in this fully integrated stage burn. The company says a full duration mission length static fire could follow as early as next month, depending on vehicle readiness and data findings.

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Following that, the Acheron first flight will take place from CSC’s currently unannounced launch site, where facility construction is rumored to be starting in the coming months. 

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Celestial has remained silent on the vehicle’s payload for the maiden flight, but internal reports suggest it could include a mass simulator or an uncrewed boilerplate demo of the Enceladus capsule.

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For now, however, the focus remains on data. With its first full engine ignition behind it, CSC’s engineers will spend the coming weeks reviewing telemetry, assessing wear on the test article, and planning final validation steps.

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“The burn may have lasted only 90 seconds,” said Kwingo, “but it represents years of design and preparation. Acheron is alive.”