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

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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 rocket is preparing for its ninth test flight as early as next week, following static fire engine testing and FAA authorization despite previous flight explosions.
Key objectives for the upcoming flight likely include attempting to "snare" the Super Heavy booster and potentially an on-orbit engine relight, both crucial for demonstrating Starship's reusability.
The company aims to prove the reusability of both the Super Heavy booster and the Starship upper stage (via reentry and splashdown).
SpaceX is pursuing increased Starship launch frequency from its Texas facility and expanding to Kennedy Space Center in Florida to meet ambitious lunar mission goals, including supporting NASA's Artemis III.

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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.”