🚀 Starship | 🛰 Starship Flight 9 Test Flight
Launch date: May 27, 2025 23:36 UTC
Payload: Starship Flight 9 Test Flight
Location: Orbital Launch Pad A (OLP-A), Starbase, Texas
Vehicle: Starship
On May 27, 2025, at 23:36:30 UTC, SpaceX launched Starship Flight 9 from Starbase, Texas, marking the first reflight of a Super Heavy booster (Booster 14-2) and Block 2 Starship (Ship 35). The mission tested new vehicle reusability, Block 2 upgrades, in-space Raptor engine relight, and attempted deployment of eight Version 3 Starlink satellite simulators using the new ‘PEZ dispenser’ payload bay, though the bay door failed due to Ship 35 losing attitude control during coast from a propellant leak. Ship 35 passed SECO but lost control and was lost over the Indian Ocean; the booster was lost in the Gulf of Mexico after an explosion during engine relight for soft splashdown. Both stages were lost, but the hour-long test delivered valuable engineering and in-flight data for SpaceX’s Starship development. The FAA is investigating the mishap; backup launch windows had been set for May 28 and 29. The mission included spectacular imagery as SpaceX advances toward operational Starship flights for Mars and beyond.
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Orbital Launch Pad A (OLP-A), Starbase, Boca Chica, Texas, USA
Orbital Launch Pad A (OLP-A), located at SpaceX’s Starbase complex near Boca Chica, Texas, is dedicated to orbital-class launches of the Starship vehicle. Constructed specifically for the development and deployment of SpaceX’s next-generation fully reusable spacecraft, OLP-A features a robust launch mount, extensive ground support infrastructure, and has been central to Starship’s integrated flight tests beginning in 2023.
The site is part of SpaceX’s ambition to drastically lower the cost of access to space and enable missions to the Moon, Mars, and beyond. OLP-A has witnessed major milestones, including the maiden integrated orbital test flights of Starship and Super Heavy. The pad continues to be a focal point for technological innovation, rapid iteration, and high-frequency launch operations in pursuit of interplanetary transportation.