Starbase, Texas — SpaceX launched its Starship rocket on May 27, 2025, at 6:36 p.m. CDT from its Starbase facility in Texas for the ninth integrated flight test (IFT-9) of the vehicle. The mission, using Ship 35 and Booster 14-2, marked the first reflight of a Super Heavy booster but encountered significant challenges, including the loss of both stages, as SpaceX continues to refine the reusable launch system for lunar and Martian missions.

The objectives of IFT-9 included reusing Booster 14-2, previously flown on Flight 7, deploying eight Starlink mass simulators, testing an in-space Raptor engine relight, and achieving a controlled reentry and splashdown in the Indian Ocean. The mission also aimed to address issues from Flights 7 and 8, which ended in upper stage failures, and to conduct experiments on the booster under off-nominal conditions, such as a higher angle of attack during descent to reduce propellant use.