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b-Lox t1_j83odv2 wrote

Reply to comment by Shrike99 in SpaceX on Twitter: Super Heavy Booster 7 completed a full duration static fire test of 31 Raptor engines, producing 7.9 million lbf of thrust (~3,600 metric tons) – less than half of the booster’s capability by allforspace

For such a test the limitation is not the thrust level, but the facility where it happens yes.

The Marshall test stand is specifically built for handling these kind of tests, with a huge flame diverter, and hold-down systems that are specific for the task.

It will not happen because they don't want to risk the launch table if there is a problem, but you can build the facility to handle the force, no problem. Just a question of funds, location and schedule, not thrust.

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amitym t1_j83wj5k wrote

Yeah right on.

To understand why it's no problem as this commenter said, remember that the thrust itself is comparable to forces easily within the usual realm of civil engineering tasks.

We don't use rockets to get to space because they generate cosmically far-fetched amounts of thrust, but rather because they can generate thrust reliably and continuously over an extended period, largely indifferently to the environment around them.

It's a similar principle as how a jet liner with engines capable of transporting hundreds of people at Mach 0.9 can be held in place by a couple of wooden chocks.

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