SpaceX has unveiled the goal date for its subsequent Starship megarocket launch, hoping the third time would be the attraction after two failures earlier this yr. However in case you plan to observe the launch reside, you may have to know when to tune in and for that, area followers, we have you coated.
The Starship Flight 9 launch, because it’s referred to as, is scheduled to launch no sooner than Tuesday, Might 27, at 7:30 p.m. EDT (2330 GMT) from SpaceX’s Starbase check web site close to Boca Chica Seaside in South Texas. Like its identify suggests, this would be the ninth check flight of the large SpaceX rocket, however it’s the first to try to reuse the large Tremendous Heavy booster, the primary stage of Starship.
It comes after two failed launches this yr, Flight 7 and Flight 8, in January and March, respectively. On these flights, SpaceX efficiently returned its Tremendous Heavy booster to Earth in back-to-back rocket catches at with large chopsticks, however the Ship stage of the rocket failed shortly after liftoff.
What time is SpaceX’s Starship Flight 9 launch?
SpaceX is at present focusing on a 7:30 p.m. EDT (2330 GMT) launch time for Flight 9 on Might 27, however that point might shift relying on the automobile’s standing. It will likely be 6:30 p.m. native time in Texas. SpaceX has not listed a selected window for the flight, however has adopted 30-minute home windows up to now, which might put the launch anytime between 7:30 p.m. and eight p.m. EDT (2330-0000 GMT), if the corporate does so once more.
The launch date, itself, is a no sooner than date, however native officers for the realm round SpaceX’s Starbase have introduced highway closures for the realm by means of Might 29, suggesting again up days on Might 28 and Might 29 are attainable.
Associated: Learn our SpaceX Starship and Tremendous Heavy information for an in depth look
SpaceX is being further cautious with this launch to check the reuse of its large Tremendous Heavy booster. The booster on Flight 9 was use to launch the Flight 7 Ship in January, with solely 4 of its 33 Raptor engines being changed for this mission.
The whole Starship automobile, when assembled, stands about 400 ft (122 meters), making it the world’s largest and strongest rocket. It’s designed to be totally reusable to allow journeys to low Earth orbit, the moon (NASA’s picked Starship to land Artemis astronauts in 2027), and in the end fly to Mars.
Can I watch SpaceX’s Starship Flight 9 launch?
Sure, you possibly can watch SpaceX’s Starship Flight 9 launch. The corporate will provide a free reside webcast of the launch on Might 27 beginning at 7 p.m. EST (2300 GMT), about half-hour earlier than liftoff. You may watch that livestream on SpaceX’s Flight 9 mission page, in addition to on the @SpaceX X account and X TV app.
House.com may even simulcast the SpaceX webcast on this web page, our homepage and via YouTube.
NASASpaceflight.com will offer its own livestream YouTube, and can embrace a considerable prelaunch present with views of fueling and extra. The channel additionally provides reside 24/7 views of SpaceX’s Starship and Starbase operations.
For those who plan to journey to South Texas to see Starship Flight 9 in individual, there are a number of locations the place you possibly can observe the launch.
South Padre Island provides a transparent view of the launch from its Cameron County Amphithear in Isla Blanca Park. The close by shoreline of Port Isabel is another choice, however plan forward as visitors will be heavy at occasions.
How lengthy is SpaceX’s Starship Flight 9?
SpaceX’s Starship Flight 9 mission is predicted to final simply over one hour and is hoping to copy the trail of its quick predecessor, Starship Flight 8 in March, earlier than that mission led to failure. SpaceX had hoped to try a mock Starlink satellite tv for pc deployment on Flight 7 (amongst different assessments) earlier than making an attempt a “tender touchdown” within the Indian Ocean and sinking.
The Starship higher stage will once more goal a number of in-space aims, together with the deployment of eight Starlink simulators, related in dimension to next-generation Starlink satellites,” SpaceX wrote in a mission overview. “The Starlink simulators might be on the identical suborbital trajectory as Starship and are anticipated to demise upon entry. A relight of a single Raptor engine whereas in area can be deliberate.”
The Tremendous Heavy booster, in the meantime, will NOT try and return to its launch web site and be captured by SpaceX’s large Mechazilla chopsticks. As an alternative, it would try a tender touchdown within the Gulf of Mexico and be discarded. That is as a result of it’s the first time SpaceX is making an attempt to refly such an enormous rocket.
|
TIME (Hr:Min:Sec) |
EVENT |
Header Cell – Column 2 |
|---|---|---|
|
T-1:15:00 |
Flight director ballot for gas loading |
Row 0 – Cell 2 |
|
T-0:51:37 |
Starship liquid oxygen loading begins |
Row 1 – Cell 2 |
|
T-0:45:20 |
Starship liquid methane loading begins |
Row 2 – Cell 2 |
|
T-0:41:37 |
Tremendous Heavy liquid methane loading begins |
Row 3 – Cell 2 |
|
T-0:35:52 |
Tremendous Heavy liquid oxygen loading begins |
Row 4 – Cell 2 |
|
T-00:19:40 |
Tremendous Heavy Raptor engine chilldown |
Row 5 – Cell 2 |
|
T-00:3:20 |
Starship fueling full |
Row 6 – Cell 2 |
|
T-00:2:50 |
Tremendous Heavy fueling full |
Row 7 – Cell 2 |
|
T-00:0:30 |
Flight Director GO for launch |
Row 8 – Cell 2 |
|
T-00:00:10 |
Flame deflector activation |
Row 9 – Cell 2 |
|
T-00:00:03 |
Raptor ignition sequence startup |
Row 10 – Cell 2 |
|
T-00:00:00 |
Liftoff (“Pleasure Assured,” SpaceX says) |
Row 11 – Cell 2 |
|
TIME (Hr:Min:Sec) |
FLIGHT EVENT |
Header Cell – Column 2 |
|---|---|---|
|
T+00:02 |
Liftoff |
Row 0 – Cell 2 |
|
T+01:02 |
Starship/Tremendous Heavy attain Max Q |
Row 1 – Cell 2 |
|
T+02:35 |
Tremendous Heavy fundamental engine cutoff |
Row 2 – Cell 2 |
|
T+02:37 |
Sizzling-staging separation/Starship Raptor engine ignition |
Row 3 – Cell 2 |
|
T+02:47 |
Tremendous Heavy boostback burn startup |
Row 4 – Cell 2 |
|
T+03:27 |
Tremendous Heavy boostback burn engine shutdown |
Row 5 – Cell 2 |
|
T+03:29 |
Sizzling-stage jettison |
Row 6 – Cell 2 |
|
T+06:19 |
Tremendous Heavy touchdown burn startup |
Row 7 – Cell 2 |
|
T+06:40 |
Tremendous Heavy touchdown burn shutdown |
Row 8 – Cell 2 |
|
T+08:56 |
Starship engine cutoff |
Row 9 – Cell 2 |
|
T+00:18:26 |
Payload deploy demo |
Row 10 – Cell 2 |
|
T+00:37:49 |
Starship engine relight demonstration |
Row 11 – Cell 2 |
|
T+00:47:50 |
Starship reentry |
Row 12 – Cell 2 |
|
T+01:03:11 |
Starship transonic |
Row 13 – Cell 2 |
|
T+1:04:26 |
Starship is subsonic |
Row 14 – Cell 2 |
|
T+1:06:11 |
Touchdown flip |
Row 15 – Cell 2 |
|
T+1:06:16 |
Touchdown burn |
Row 16 – Cell 2 |
|
T+1:06:38 |
“An thrilling touchdown!” SpaceX says. |
Row 17 – Cell 2 |
“The booster on this flight check can be making an attempt a number of flight experiments to collect real-world efficiency knowledge on future flight profiles and off-nominal eventualities,” SpaceX wrote within the overview. “To maximise the protection of launch infrastructure at Starbase, the Tremendous Heavy booster will try these experiments whereas on a trajectory to an offshore touchdown level within the Gulf of America and won’t return to the launch web site for catch.” (President Trump has signed an govt order renaming the Gulf or Mexico physique of water the Gulf of America.)
If all goes nicely, the Flight 9 Tremendous Heavy booster ought to land within the Gulf of Mexico just below seven minutes after launch, with the payload deployment check about 18 minutes after liftoff and the Starship touchdown within the Indian Ocean about 66 minutes into the flight.
What if Starship cannot launch on Might 28?
If SpaceX is unable to launch Starship’s Flight 9 check mission on Might 27, the corporate might attempt once more on Might 28 and Might 29.
A public advisory from Cameron County, which comprises Starbase, said that highway closures are attainable from Might 27 to Might 29 for the Starship launch actions.
“I’ve ordered the closure of Boca Chica Seaside and Hwy 4 for the aim of defending Public Well being and Security throughout SpaceX flight testing actions on Might 27, 2025, within the time interval between 10:30 a.m. C.S.T. to 9:30 p.m. C.S.T. and within the different on Might 28, 2025, or Might 29, 2025, from 10:30 a.m. C.S.T. to 9:30 p.m. C.S.T., of the identical day,” Cameron County Decide Eddie Treviño, Jr. wrote within the advisory. “Ought to SpaceX not full its deliberate flight-testing exercise on Might 27, 2025, then SpaceX could use the alternate dates to finish its testing actions.”
As talked about above, SpaceX has repeatedly warned that its schedule is dynamic and will change. The corporate plans to share its newest launch targets through its @SpaceX account on X.
