SpaceX Gears Up for Starship’s Ninth Test Flight, Musk to Unveil Mars Plans

Boca Chica, Texas – May 15, 2025

SpaceX is poised to launch the ninth test flight of its Starship megarocket next week from its Starbase facility in South Texas, with CEO Elon Musk announcing a livestreamed talk on the company’s Mars colonization strategy just before the event. The announcement, made via a post on X on May 13, 2025, has heightened anticipation for both the test flight and SpaceX’s long-term vision of making humanity multiplanetary.

The Starship vehicle, consisting of the Super Heavy Booster 14 (B14) and the Ship 35 (S35) upper stage, completed a critical long-duration six-engine static fire test on May 12, 2025, as part of final preparations. “Starship completed a long duration six-engine static fire and is undergoing final preparations for the ninth flight test,” SpaceX shared on X, accompanied by images of the fiery trial. The test, which lasted approximately 60 seconds, demonstrated the upper stage’s readiness for an in-space burn, a key objective after failures in Flights 7 and 8.

Flight 9, scheduled for no earlier than May 21, 2025, at 6:30 PM CDT (23:30 UTC), will mark the first reflight of a Super Heavy Booster, with B14 having previously flown on Flight 7. This milestone underscores SpaceX’s push for rapid reusability, a cornerstone of reducing launch costs for Mars missions. The booster, equipped with 29 flight-proven Raptor engines out of 33, is expected to attempt another catch by the launch tower’s “chopstick” arms, following successful catches in Flights 7 and 8.

Ship 35, a Block 2 Starship, features upgrades including a redesigned propellant feed system to address methane leaks that led to the explosions of Ships 33 and 34 in prior flights. The upper stage also sports a modified heat shield with experimental active-cooled tiles and ablative materials to withstand reentry heat up to 2,600°F (1,430°C). The mission aims to deploy mock Starlink satellites and perform an in-space engine reignition, critical steps toward orbital certification and NASA’s Artemis lunar program.

Musk’s upcoming talk, set to be livestreamed on X from Starbase, will detail SpaceX’s “Mars game plan,” aligning with his goal of launching uncrewed Starship missions to Mars in 2026 and crewed flights by 2029. “Just before the Starship flight next week, I will give a company talk explaining the Mars game plan in Starbase, Texas,” Musk posted, sparking excitement among space enthusiasts. He has emphasized that Starship’s immense power—capable of lifting 100 to 150 metric tonnes to low Earth orbit—and full reusability are key to building a self-sustaining Martian city within 20 years.

The launch, pending FAA approval following the Flight 8 mishap investigation, faces a tight window with notices to mariners indicating possible dates from May 20 to May 29. Despite recent setbacks, including the loss of the upper stage in Flights 7 and 8 due to propellant-related issues, SpaceX remains optimistic. “Every Starship launch is one more step closer towards Mars,” Musk said on X before Flight 7.

Flight 9’s success is pivotal for SpaceX’s 2025 ambitions, which include up to 25 launches from Starbase and potential operations from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. NASA, which has contracted Starship for Artemis lunar landings, congratulated SpaceX on Flight 6’s in-space engine reignition, noting its “major progress toward orbital flight.”