Starship Flight 9

Launch Partial Failure

Liftoff Time (GMT)

23:36:28

Tuesday May 27, 2025

Watch Replay

NASASpaceflight.com

Rocket

Active

Starship-Super Heavy Block 2

Active Since 2025

Agency

SpaceX

Rocket

Diameter: 9m

Height: 123.1m

Liftoff Thrust

74,400 Kilonewtons

Fairing

Diameter: 9m

Stages

Mission Details

Read Article

Launch Notes

Ninth flight of Starship and Super Heavy. Flight 9 features the first reflight of a Super Heavy booster, Booster 14, which previously launched Flight 7. Of the 33 engines on the booster, 29 are flight-proven. Unlike the previous four launches, Booster 14 will not attempt a catch at the launch tower and will be used to test several experiments, including controlling the booster flip direction, a more efficient high-angle-of-attack booster return, and engine-out capability during the final 3-engine landing burn.

Starship Flight 9

Starship Flight 9 will feature the first reflight of a Super Heavy vehicle, Booster 14, which previously launched Flight 7. 29 of the 33 Raptor engines on the booster are flight-proven. The Starship upper stage will attempt to reach engine cutoff, and if so, perform the first re-entry of a Block 2 Starship with upgraded flaps, among many other changes. The two previous Block 2 Starship upper stage prototypes, those launched on Flight 7 and 8, did not successfully reach engine cutoff, and this mission will attempt a repeat of the milestones desired on those flights.

Suborbital

Starlink Simulators

Ship 35 is planned to deploy 8 Starlink simulators, similar in size to next-generation Starlink satellites, into the same suborbital trajectory as the Ship itself.

Suborbital

8 Payloads