Skip to main content

Watch SpaceX blast Starship engines ahead of 9th test flight

SpaceX tests its Starship engines ahead of the ninth test flight.
SpaceX

SpaceX has just fired up the engines of its Starship spacecraft in preparation for the ninth test flight of the most powerful rocket ever to get off the ground.

The spaceflight company shared a 60-second clip (below) of the spacecraft’s six Raptor engines blasting at full power during a static test at SpaceX’s Starbase facility in Boca Chica, Texas, on Tuesday. It also included three images captured during the test.

Starship completed a long duration six-engine static fire and is undergoing final preparations for the ninth flight test pic.twitter.com/o3WWjwtFre

— SpaceX (@SpaceX) May 13, 2025

SpaceX has yet to announce a date for the ninth flight of the Starship rocket, which comprises the first-stage Super Heavy booster and the upper-stage Starship spacecraft. However, Tuesday’s testing of the spacecraft engines suggests that the flight could take place before the end of this month.

Recommended Videos

The upcoming flight will see the first reuse of a Super Heavy booster, which will help SpaceX save on mission costs as it aims to ramp up Starship flights to as many as one every two weeks as the year progresses. To enable reuse, SpaceX has developed a system that uses large mechanical arms on the launch tower to secure the first-stage booster as it returns to Earth minutes after deploying the spacecraft to orbit.

During the test, the plan is for the Super Heavy to deploy the Starship to orbit. After a short flight, the spacecraft will make a controlled landing in the Indian Ocean — using those Raptor engines. 

NASA wants to use the Starship rocket for crew and cargo flights to the moon as part of its Artemis program. First up, it plans to use a modified version of the spacecraft to put two astronauts on the lunar surface in the Artemis III mission, currently set for 2027. The endeavor will mark NASA’s first crewed lunar landing since 1972.

Looking further ahead, SpaceX chief Elon Musk is keen to use the Starship for the first-ever crewed mission to Mars, which could take place in the 2030s.

But before then, the Super Heavy and Starship need to undergo more testing and refinement. 

While the Starship’s performance is clearly improving when compared to its first couple of flights in 2023, SpaceX has some real concerns after losing the Starship spacecraft in the seventh and eighth tests due to technical issues.

With the clock ticking, the pressure is on SpaceX to make the ninth flight its most successful yet.

Trevor Mogg
Contributing Editor
Not so many moons ago, Trevor moved from one tea-loving island nation that drives on the left (Britain) to another (Japan)…
SpaceX boss hints at unprecedented milestone for Starship ‘this year’
SpaceX's Starship spacecraft in flight.

When SpaceX first launched the Starship, it blew up soon after liftoff. Since then, the world’s most powerful rocket has flown seven more times, with each test flight showing huge improvements in some areas of the vehicle's design, but issues in others.

One of the major achievements so far has involved the launch tower catching the first-stage Super Heavy booster as it returned to the launchpad shortly after deploying the upper-stage Starship spacecraft to orbit. 

Read more
SpaceX chief reveals target date for 9th Starship rocket test
SpaceX's Starship rocket lifting off in November 2023.

SpaceX chief Elon Musk has strongly suggested that the ninth test flight of the massive Starship rocket will take place next week.

“Just before the Starship flight next week, I will give a company talk explaining the Mars game plan in Starbase, Texas, that will also be live-streamed on X,” Musk said in a social media post on Wednesday.

Read more
Starship to fly again — What to expect from SpaceX’s upcoming test
The Starship spacecraft during an engine test.

SpaceX is edging toward the ninth test flight of its mighty Starship, the most powerful rocket ever to fly.

The Elon Musk-led company has yet to name a date for the upcoming flight, but just a couple of days ago it shared images of the upper-stage spacecraft on its way to preflight testing, suggesting the launch could happen in the next week or two.

Read more