Introduction to SpaceX’s Starship Rocket

SpaceX has successfully launched its massive Starship rocket eight times, with the Super Heavy booster being caught three times by the giant mechanical arms of Mechazilla. The booster is now ready for its next steps toward achieving launch, landing, and reuse, while the upper stage still faces challenges.

Preparing for the Next Launch

In a recent post, SpaceX announced that it is preparing to launch a Super Heavy Booster that has already flown before. This booster, which previously lifted off and returned during the rocket’s seventh test flight on January 16, has 29 of its 33 Raptor engines deemed "flight-proven."

Static fire of the Super Heavy preparing to launch Starship’s ninth flight test. This booster previously launched and returned on Flight 7 and 29 of its 33 Raptor engines are flight proven pic.twitter.com/XBOvoZezvJ

— SpaceX (@SpaceX) April 3, 2025

Progress and Challenges

SpaceX conducted a static fire test of the booster ahead of Flight 9, marking the first test of a Super Heavy Booster that has already flown to the edge of space, as noted by reporter Stephen Clark at Ars Technica. The booster, designated Booster 14, will fly again during Starship’s upcoming test flight, which would make it the first pre-flown booster to launch again. However, SpaceX has not yet announced a date for Starship’s next launch.

Reusability Efforts

SpaceX has made significant progress with Starship’s 232-foot-tall Super Heavy booster, successfully catching the booster during three out of four attempts. In contrast, the rocket’s upper stage has experienced back-to-back glitches during the last two test flights. During flight 7 in January, Starship’s upper stage suffered an engine glitch that forced an early shutdown, causing it to break apart and scatter debris over Turks and Caicos in the Caribbean. Less than two months later, the upper stage suffered another major failure during flight 8, spinning uncontrollably before breaking apart a few moments after launch.

Reusability Goals

Starship is designed to be a fully-reusable launch vehicle, requiring both its Super Heavy booster and the upper stage (known as Ship) to be caught mid-air by the 400-foot-tall Mechazilla tower. While the booster has shown promising results, the upper stage still faces significant challenges in achieving successful reuse.