SpaceX is working to resolve issues with the upper stage of its Starship rocket, but significant progress has been made with the booster. A recent test firing at the company’s Starbase launch site in Texas demonstrated remarkable strides. The Super Heavy booster, which has already flown to the edge of space, was successfully restarted for an eight-second burn.
This milestone marks a major step forward for Booster 14, previously launched and returned to Earth in January. SpaceX confirmed plans for its reflight on the next Starship launch, with the company stating that it is closer to flight readiness than other boosters.
The success of Booster 14 comes after 29 of its 33 methane-fueled Raptor engines were deemed “flight-proven.” This achievement brings the rocket one step closer to achieving zero-touch reflight capabilities. The Super Heavy booster’s massive size, with an estimated 17 million pounds of thrust, makes it a complex yet powerful asset in SpaceX’s arsenal.
With eight successful full-scale test flights under its belt, including seven consecutive launches since Starship’s debut, the booster portion of the rocket has performed well. Additionally, SpaceX has successfully recovered three Super Heavy boosters in four attempts, leveraging its experience with reusing Falcon 9 boosters to refine its recovery process.
The company’s approach to reusable rockets, demonstrated by its recent success, builds on a decade-long journey marked by numerous milestones, including the first operational reuse of a Falcon 9 booster in March 2017.
Source: https://arstechnica.com/space/2025/04/spacex-just-took-a-big-step-toward-reusing-starships-super-heavy-booster