this post was submitted on 27 May 2025

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Starship Flight 9 Launch Thread (self.spacex)

submitted 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) by threelonmusketeers to c/spacex

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Well folks, it's time for the first reflight of a SuperHeavy booster!

Third time's the charm for Starship version 2?

| Scheduled for (UTC) | 2025-05-27 23:30 | |

Webcasts

| Stream | Link | |

Stats

Sourced from NextSpaceflight and r/SpaceX:

☑️ 1st reflight of a Super Heavy booster

☑️ 131 days and 53 minutes turnaround for this booster

☑️ 3rd launch of Starship version 2

☑️ 3rd Starship Full Stack launch this year, 9th overall

☑️ 3rd launch from Pad A this year, 9th overall

☑️ 82 day turnaround for this pad

☑️ 66th SpaceX launch this year, 515th overall

Mission Details 🚀

NextSpaceflight

Flight 9 features the first reflight of a Super Heavy booster, Booster 14, which previously launched Flight 7. Of the 33 engines on the booster, 29 are flight-proven.

Unlike the previous four launches, Booster 14 will not attempt a catch at the launch tower and will be used to test several experiments, including controlling the booster flip direction, a more efficient high-angle-of-attack booster return, and engine-out capability during the final 3-engine landing burn.

SpaceX website (current, archive)

Ship objectives include deployment of 8 Starlink simulators, an in-space Raptor relight, and testing of Ship ver2 heatshield and flap design on reentry.
"Following stage separation, the booster will flip in a controlled direction before initiating its boostback burn. This will be achieved by blocking several of the vents on the vehicle’s hotstage adapter, causing the thrust from Starship’s engines to push the booster in a known direction. Previous booster flips went in a randomized direction based on a directional push from small differences in thrust from Starship’s upper stage engines at ignition." Diagram by Killip.

Link to Starship Dev thread

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[–] verity_kindle 6 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

So excited, thanks for the juicy details! You make it so easy to be a Starbase nerd

[–] threelonmusketeers 2 points 2 weeks ago

Glad you find it useful!

[–] threelonmusketeers 5 points 2 weeks ago

Jessie Anderson confirms that Raptor #314 is on this booster. This will be the engine's third flight, as it flew on Flight 7 (B14's first flight), and Flight 5 (B12).

[–] threelonmusketeers 3 points 2 weeks ago

Hotstaging and ship engine ignition!

[–] threelonmusketeers 3 points 2 weeks ago

Looks like loss of contact with the ship. Last telemetry was at T+46:51, altitude 59.3 km, speed 24482 km/h.

[–] threelonmusketeers 3 points 2 weeks ago

Passed through Max Q, all booster engines look healthy.

[–] threelonmusketeers 3 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (1 children)

The ship still seems to be venting a considerable amount, and is also slowly spinning... I hope they haven't lost attitude control of the ship.

Edit: Ship attitude seems to have stabilized now.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 weeks ago

Glad it wasn't just me. That seemed like a ton of venting.

[–] threelonmusketeers 3 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (1 children)

Payload door was unable to open fully. No Starlink simulator deployment on this flight.

Next up will be the in-space raptor relight at T+37:49.

[–] ptfrd 2 points 1 week ago

Relevant spaceflightmemes post: https://sh.itjust.works/post/38958595

[–] threelonmusketeers 3 points 2 weeks ago

Liftoff!

[–] threelonmusketeers 3 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

Booster landing burn startup.

Edit: Loss of booster confirmed.

[–] verity_kindle 3 points 1 week ago (1 children)

RIP B-14, the warm waters of the Indian Ocean were your fate. Make a good reef.

[–] ptfrd 3 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Make a good reef.

Hope so!

Though I believe that it was the Gulf of Mexico that received (large chunks of) B14.

Whereas the Indian Ocean has probably some small bits of S35 debris. (Unless it fully vapourised on re-entry? You've also got me wondering whether any of the materials merely melt, and then re-solidify as solid lumps, either in the lower atmosphere or after hitting the ocean.)

And while I'm being pedantic, @[email protected], the table above says "Soft water landing" for the booster, which isn't how I'd describe the plan they had for it.

[–] verity_kindle 3 points 1 week ago (1 children)

You've given me new food for thought, thank you! Down the rabbit hole we goooo

[–] ptfrd 3 points 1 week ago

LMK if you find anything interesting! My guess is that if there is any melting & re-solidifying going on, it will be nothing larger than a droplet.

[–] threelonmusketeers 3 points 2 weeks ago

Ship passing through 70 km. Still getting telemetry and intermittent video. Lots of plasma!

[–] threelonmusketeers 3 points 2 weeks ago

https://x.com/SpaceX/status/1927497315855610005

Propellant load of the Super Heavy booster is underway.

[–] threelonmusketeers 3 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

Tower vent is subsiding, indicating the begin of propellant load on ship.

Edit; and confirmation:

https://x.com/SpaceX/status/1927491179895263259

The Starship team is go for prop load

https://x.com/SpaceX/status/1927496701482246400

Propellant load of Starship’s upper stage is now underway

[–] threelonmusketeers 3 points 2 weeks ago

Countdown has resumed!

[–] threelonmusketeers 3 points 2 weeks ago

Another hold called at T-11 seconds. Clock reset to T-41 seconds.

[–] threelonmusketeers 3 points 2 weeks ago

Sounds like it is a GSE issue this time. Still holding at T-40 seconds.

[–] threelonmusketeers 3 points 2 weeks ago

Nominal boostback burn. Ship engines still healthy.

[–] threelonmusketeers 3 points 2 weeks ago

Countdown clock has resumed!

[–] threelonmusketeers 3 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

SpaceX webcast has started. Dan Huot and Jessie Anderson are hosting.

Edit: Chris Gebhardt is also hosting.

[–] threelonmusketeers 3 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

Update: Ship is spinning again...

Edit: Loss of attitude control confirmed :(

S35 sprung a leak in some of the fuel tank systems. Engine relight test is cancelled.

Reentry will still happen since this is a suborbital trajectory. Should look similar to the reentry seen on Flight 3, which also had a loss of attitude control. ~~Reentry will start around T+47 minutes.~~

[–] threelonmusketeers 3 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

SECO-1 confirmed!

Edit: And nominal orbit insertion! Next up, Starlink simulator deployment scheduled for T+18:26.

[–] threelonmusketeers 3 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

Expected hold at T-40 seconds for additional checkouts on one of the booster raptors.

Edit: They are apparently waiting for the engine temperature to reach the desired range.

[–] threelonmusketeers 2 points 2 weeks ago

NSF are live with their Stakeout stream: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uiCgZrc51i4

[–] threelonmusketeers 2 points 2 weeks ago

T-6 hours. Chopsticks have disconnected from S35 and are opening wide.

[–] ptfrd 2 points 1 week ago

I'm a rocket ship on my way to Mars [in a sense]

I'm burnin' through the sky, yeah [over Namibia, at about ~3:43:11 for about a minute]

[–] threelonmusketeers 2 points 2 weeks ago

T-1 hour. Venting is visible from the tank farm, launch mount, and tower.

[–] threelonmusketeers 2 points 2 weeks ago

Reentry has started. Ship passing through 100 km.

[–] threelonmusketeers 2 points 2 weeks ago

Under T-4 hours.

NSF launch stream is live: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hAdLlG9Rfd4

[–] threelonmusketeers 2 points 2 weeks ago

https://x.com/elonmusk/status/1927531406017601915

Starship made it to the scheduled ship engine cutoff, so big improvement over last flight! Also, no significant loss of heat shield tiles during ascent.

Leaks caused loss of main tank pressure during the coast and re-entry phase. Lot of good data to review.

Launch cadence for next 3 flights will be faster, at approximately 1 every 3 to 4 weeks.