Test Flight 9 Launch Window Opens at 6:30 p.m. CDT

SpaceX will host a live webcast of the flight test will begin at T-30 minutes on the SpaceX website, on X, or on the X TV App. SpaceX notes that as is the case with all developmental testing, the schedule is dynamic and may well change so keep track of updates on the SpaceX X account.

Starship last flew on March 6, 2025, ending in an anomalous event that caused the loss of the second stage and payload in an explosion that scattered debris along the launch corridor and beyond and causing the diversion or delay of several airline flights both in the air and on the ground. This caused the FAA to modify the launch license for the upcoming flight test such that the Aircraft Hazard Area, or AHA, was expanded to nearly double its length.

In a press release, SpaceX described its conclusion regarding the cause of the malfunction during Flight Test 8, saying, “The most probable root cause for the loss of Starship was identified as a hardware failure in one of the upper stage’s center Raptor engines that resulted in inadvertent propellant mixing and ignition.

“Extensive ground testing has taken place since the flight test to better understand the failure, including more than 100 long-duration Raptor firings at SpaceX’s McGregor test facility.

“To address the issue on upcoming flights, engines on the Starship’s upper stage will receive additional preload on key joints, a new nitrogen purge system, and improvements to the propellant drain system. Future upgrades to Starship will introduce the Raptor 3 engine which will include additional reliability improvements to address the failure mechanism.”

FMI:  www.spacex.com/