SpaceX continues to rapidly manufacture and test Starship prototypes at its launch site in Boca Chica, Texas––located near the U.S - Mexican border. Now preparing to fly SN9 after SN8's spectacular launch and fiery landing, the company performed a test-firing of the massive vehicle's three Raptor engines but aborted at two seconds.

A few days later on January 13th, they fired the engines a surprising three times in a single day. SpaceX then performed a fifth test of the Raptors on Friday the 22nd after swapping two of the fired engines out. The high-altitude test-flight is now expected as soon as Monday. We'll be updating our Starship SN9 tracker page when we have a launch window.

Our photographer Pauline Acalin visited South Texas to check out SpaceX's facility and see the latest Starship model for herself.

As SpaceX’s multipurpose spacecraft, Starship will be capable of launching substantial payloads to any destination in the solar system, allow humans to live and work on Mars, perform lunar exploration for NASA, and conduct intercontinental point-to-point transportation to destinations across Earth's surface.

During SN9's 12.5 km test flight, a three-engine ascent will be tested, as will Raptor engine mid-air restarts––a mandatory part of the systems landing ability.  The vehicle’s flaps and aerosurfaces ability to control the vehicle during its tricky descent will also be tested.

If the flaps work and the Raptor engines successfully re-ignite, the rocket will quickly re-orient from “belly flop” (horizontal) to vertical for landing as seen during the SN8 flight.

In July and August 2019, a Starship prototype called Starhopper performed a 20 meter and 150-meter hop test series to gather information on the Raptor engine’s performance in flight.

In April 2020, NASA selected a lunar variant of Starship as one of three designs to compete for human landing contracts to provide crewed access to the Moon as part of the agency’s Artemis program.