SpaceX to conduct Starship's ninth flight test next week

15/5/2025 6:19

SpaceX is preparing to launch the ninth test flight of its Starship rocket as early as next week, according to SpaceX founder and CEO Elon Musk.

The company said Tuesday that Starship has completed a long-duration static fire of its six engines and is undergoing final preparations ahead of the upcoming test.

"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 post on the social media platform.

Starship last launched on March 6 in its eighth test flight, during which SpaceX lost contact with the spacecraft shortly after liftoff.

SpaceX's Starship spacecraft and Super Heavy rocket, collectively referred to as Starship, represent a fully reusable transportation system designed to carry both crew and cargo to the Earth orbit, the moon, Mars and beyond.

Starship plays a key role in NASA. It is the vehicle that NASA has selected to carry astronauts on the final leg of their trip to the moon during a mission called Artemis III, currently planned for 2026.