SpaceX Starship Flight 9 Will Suspend More Than 70 Air Routes, Attempt New Goals

FAA says back-to-back explosions on previous flights necessitate larger airspace closures.

Jack Daleo

Tuesday, May 27, 2025 at 01:18 PM ET

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Jack Daleo

SpaceX’s Starship rocket and Super Heavy booster are set for their ninth integrated test flight following back-to-back mishaps. [Courtesy: SpaceX]

Key Takeaways:

SpaceX's Starship is launching its 9th test flight after two prior explosions, prompting the FAA to nearly double the aircraft hazard area and schedule the launch outside peak transit periods due to reliability concerns.
Flight 9 will feature a previously flown Super Heavy booster (though not attempting a catch) and aims to test new maneuvers like controlled booster flip, higher angle of attack descent, a simulated engine failure during landing burn, and Starship's first orbital payload deployment and engine relight.
This developmental flight is crucial for SpaceX's strategy of rapid iteration to achieve full reusability, gather critical data, and advance its long-term goals for Mars colonization and supporting NASA's Artemis III lunar mission.

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SpaceX’s colossal Starship rocket and Super Heavy booster are poised to return to action Tuesday evening after the company wrapped up its investigation into the 400-foot-tall vehicle’s eighth test flight in March. Starship exploded during both that mission and Flight 7 in January, disrupting air travel and prompting the FAA to nearly double the aircraft hazard area (AHA) for Tuesday’s flight.

“The Starship vehicle mishaps from Flights 7 and 8 caused a greater probability of failure of the vehicle and, therefore, a larger AHA,” the FAA said in an environmental assessment noting the airspace closures. “These AHAs define the temporarily closed airspace that would be established and published through a NOTAM prior to the launch/reentry.”