SpaceX's Starship test mission No. 9

telcodad

SpaceX’s Starship Flight 9 is scheduled to launch no earlier than Tuesday, May 27, at 7:30 p.m. EDT:

What time is SpaceX’s Starship Flight 9 launch on May 27?
SpaceX is aiming to launch its Starship Flight 9 test mission no earlier than Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. EDT (2330 GMT), but only if conditions allow.
By Tariq Malik, Space.com - May 23, 2025
https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/spacex-starship-flight-9-launch-what-time

SpaceX has unveiled the target date for its next Starship megarocket launch, hoping the third time will be the charm after two failures earlier this year. But if you plan to watch the launch live, you’ll need to know when to tune in and for that, space fans, we’ve got you covered.

The Starship Flight 9 launch, as it’s called, is scheduled to launch no earlier than Tuesday, May 27, at 7:30 p.m. EDT (2330 GMT) from SpaceX’s Starbase test site near Boca Chica Beach in South Texas. Like its name suggests, this will be the ninth test flight of the giant SpaceX rocket, but it is the first to attempt to reuse the giant Super Heavy booster, the first stage of Starship.

It comes after two failed launches this year, Flight 7 and Flight 8, in January and March, respectively. On those flights, SpaceX successfully returned its Super Heavy booster to Earth in back-to-back rocket catches at with giant chopsticks, but the Ship stage of the rocket failed shortly after liftoff. ….

InternetJeff

telcodad first to attempt to reuse the giant Super Heavy booster, the first stage of Starship.

This is a big deal, being the first time a first stage of such a large vehicle is reused, including its fuel tanks. SLS can’t do that.

telcodad

SpaceX is aiming for Starship Flight 9 to launch from Starbase, Texas, tomorrow, Tuesday, May 27th, during a window that opens at 6:30 p.m. CDT (7:30 p.m. EDT, 2330 UTC):

Live coverage: SpaceX to launch its Starship-Super Heavy rocket on its 9th test flight
By Will Robinson-Smith, Spaceflight Now - May 26, 2025
https://spaceflightnow.com/2025/05/26/live-coverage-spacex-to-launch-its-starship-super-heavy-rocket-on-its-9th-test-flight/

Watch on YouTube:

Watch live: SpaceX launches Starship mission on critical 9th test flight

MacLeech

Other feeds for those interested.

SpaceX official feed:
http://spacex.com/launches/mission/?missionId=starship-flight-9

The ninth flight test of Starship is preparing to launch as soon as Tuesday, May 27. The launch window will open at 6:30 p.m. CT.

A live webcast of the flight test will begin about 30 minutes before liftoff, which you can watch here and on X @SpaceX. You can also watch the webcast on the X TV app. As is the case with all developmental testing, the schedule is dynamic and likely to change, so be sure to check in here and stay tuned to our X account for updates.

NASASpaceflight (NOT affiliated with NASA):

LabPadre:

Everyday Astronaut:

What About it

Bobcat00

Does not look good. Looks like it failed again. The landing failed for sure. I wonder how long this will go on before being cancelled.

telcodad

Bobcat00 Does not look good. Looks like it failed again. The landing failed for sure.

If you’re talking about the booster, it intentionally being landed in the gulf, due to some testing they’re doing this flight.

telcodad

Looks like the simulated Starlink satellite deployment has failed, though.

Bobcat00

telcodad If you’re talking about the booster, it intentionally being landed in the gulf, due to some testing they’re doing this flight.

No something went wrong with the simulated landing in the water and the video feed was cut.

Bobcat00

telcodad simulated Starlink satellite deployment has failed

Not surprised.

Bobcat00

Its out of control. Hard fail. Ridiculous after 9 attempts.

telcodad

Bobcat00 Its out of control. Hard fail. Ridiculous after 9 attempts.

Yes, due to a fuel leak, there’s currently a loss of attitude control.

telcodad

Currently venting all leftover propellant before an uncontrolled reentry over/into the Indian Ocean. 🙁

telcodad

Contact now lost - end of mission.

telcodad

SpaceX Starship: Smooth launch but spacecraft makes uncontrolled re-entry
Fuel leaks on the upper-stage vehicle caused it to spin uncontrollably before its planned re-entry through Earth’s atmosphere, ending with a “rapid unscheduled disassembly.”
By Denise Chow and Marissa Parra, NBC News - May 27, 2025, 8:42 PM EDT
https://www.nbcnews.com/science/space/live-blog/spacex-launch-rocket-starship-musk-live-updates-rcna209210

The flight started smoothly, but Starship encountered some issues in orbit. The first-stage Super Heavy booster exploded shortly before its expected splashdown, and fuel leaks on the upper-stage vehicle caused it to spin uncontrollably before its planned re-entry through Earth’s atmosphere.
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SpaceX confirmed that Starship broke apart during re-entry. At the time, the vehicle was on track to splash down in the Indian Ocean.
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It’s a bittersweet ending for Starship’s ninth test flight.

The spacecraft made it through more milestones on this outing than it had so far this year, but issues cropped up in orbit that prevented several key tech demonstrations. We should learn more in the coming days and weeks as SpaceX investigates what went wrong. Still, the overall outcome will be welcome good news for SpaceX after two previous tests failed less than 10 minutes after liftoff.

MacLeech

Bobcat00 I wonder how long this will go on before being cancelled.

Considering they have 3-4 rockets already built, are building 2 more launch pads, and the manned landing on the moon requires it, not for quite a while.

MacLeech

telcodad

SpaceX reached space with Starship Flight 9 launch, then lost control of its giant spaceship
The company successfully reused its Super Heavy booster, but it too exploded.
By Mike Wall, Space.com - May 27, 2025
https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/spacex-launches-starship-flight-9-to-space-in-historic-reuse-of-giant-megarocket-video

SpaceX launched its Starship megarocket for the ninth time ever today (May 27), on a bold test flight that featured the first-ever significant reuse of Starship hardware. Starship’s two stages separated as planned on Flight 9, and the upper stage even reached space, which was an improvement over the giant vehicle’s most recent two flights. But SpaceX ended up losing both stages before they could accomplish their full flight goals.

The Super Heavy booster broke apart about 6 minutes and 20 seconds into today’s flight, just after beginning its landing burn. “Confirmation that the booster did demise,” Huot said during the Flight 9 webcast. Super Heavy’s flight ended “before it was able to get through landing burn,” he added. ,,, Then, about 30 minutes after launch, Ship started to tumble, which was the result of a leak in Ship’s fuel-tank systems, according to Huot. “A lot of those [tanks] are used for your attitude control,” he said. “And so, at this point, we’ve essentially lost our attitude control with Starship.” ….