Musk: Starship Could Fly Again Next Week After Back-to-Back Explosions

Hulking spacecraft nears a return to action, the SpaceX CEO says.

Jack Daleo

Friday, May 16, 2025 at 07:30 AM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Jack Daleo

Starship Flight 9 could see SpaceX attempt to catch the Super Heavy booster, a feat it has achieved on three of its past four test flights. [Courtesy: SpaceX]

Key Takeaways:

SpaceX's Starship and Super Heavy rocket are poised for their ninth flight test as early as next week, having completed static fire engine testing despite previous test flight explosions.
The upcoming flight aims to demonstrate full reusability with a booster catch attempt, perform an on-orbit engine relight, and test Starship's reentry and splashdown, all crucial for future lunar missions.
SpaceX plans to significantly increase Starship launch cadence and expand operations to Kennedy Space Center, working towards ambitious goals including an uncrewed moon flight and crewed lunar landings by mid-2027.

See a mistake? Contact us.

SpaceX’s colossal Starship rocket and Super Heavy booster—which stand nearly as tall as the Great Pyramid of Giza when stacked—could fly again as soon as next week, according to CEO Elon Musk.

Musk made the prediction Tuesday in a post on social media platform X, replying to SpaceX’s post that Starship completed static fire engine testing and is “undergoing final preparations for the ninth flight test.”