SpaceX is set to launch its world’s largest rocket, the fully integrated Starship program, on its ninth test flight dubbed Starship Flight 9. The mission aims to demonstrate improvements made since the first Block 2 Starship upper stage flight and will mark a significant step forward for the program.
Launched from Pad A at Starbase, Texas, the Super Heavy booster, tail number B14, will fly with 29 of its 33 original Raptor engines for the first time. The reuse of a booster is crucial for SpaceX’s Falcon 9 business model and has taken several attempts since its initial success in June 2010.
With NASA closely monitoring the program, SpaceX needs to achieve a successful launch as it prepares for the Artemis 3 mission, where the Block 3 version of Starship will be required for lunar missions. The delayed lunar touchdown is now expected between mid-2027 and late 2026.
Elon Musk’s upcoming company talk, “The Road to Making Life Multiplanetary,” aims to explain SpaceX’s Mars game plan and address progress towards NASA contracts. A live-streamed event on May 27 will provide insight into the future of space exploration under SpaceX’s leadership.
A successful Starship Flight 9 mission could bring SpaceX closer to perfecting its reusable rocket technology, paving the way for missions to the Moon, Mars, and beyond.
Source: https://spaceflightnow.com/2025/05/26/live-coverage-spacex-to-launch-its-starship-super-heavy-rocket-on-its-9th-test-flight