SpaceX’s colossal Starship rocket is gearing up to launch once again from Texas, more than two months after its last dramatic attempt. For Elon Musk’s ambitious commercial spaceflight company, the pressure is on like never before.
The first two Starship test flights of 2025 — one on January 16 and another on March 6 — ended in fiery explosions that lit up the sky. In both cases, the upper stage of the vehicle, where astronauts and cargo would eventually travel, disintegrated just minutes into the flight, far short of the planned ocean landing. These spectacular failures underscored the immense challenges involved in perfecting this massive spacecraft.
Now, with regulatory approval secured just days ago, SpaceX is targeting its ninth Starship test flight on Tuesday, May 27. The launch is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Eastern Time from SpaceX’s Starbase facility in Boca Chica, Texas—just a short drive from Brownsville near the U.S.-Mexico border. This massive 400-foot rocket is expected to streak through the sky on a suborbital trajectory, potentially visible from halfway around the globe.
But you don’t need to be near the launch site to witness this historic event. SpaceX will stream the launch live online, so you can watch the rocket soar from the comfort of your own home. The livestream will begin about 30 minutes before liftoff and will be available on SpaceX’s official website, their social media platform X, and their new X TV app.
It’s worth noting that, as with all experimental launches, the schedule is fluid and subject to change. SpaceX encourages fans and followers to stay tuned to their X account for the latest updates and any potential delays.
What exactly is Starship? It’s SpaceX’s revolutionary vision for a fully reusable transportation system designed to ferry cargo and humans to Earth orbit and beyond. Both the rocket booster, known as Super Heavy, and the upper stage spacecraft are intended to return safely to Earth for repeated use, dramatically cutting the costs of space travel.
Starship is also a critical part of NASA’s future plans. Although the Artemis lunar missions face budgetary uncertainties, NASA has envisioned astronauts riding the Orion capsule to lunar orbit, then transferring to Starship for the final journey to the moon’s surface. Beyond the moon, Elon Musk’s eyes are firmly set on Mars — boldly predicting that Starship could reach the Red Planet as soon as the end of 2026. If successful, this mission would pave the way for human exploration of Mars in the years that follow.
Standing over 400 feet tall, Starship is the largest and most powerful rocket ever built. It dwarfs SpaceX’s widely used Falcon 9 rocket, which itself measures nearly 230 feet in height. The launch vehicle consists of two main parts: the 232-foot Super Heavy booster that provides the raw power to escape Earth’s gravity, and the 171-foot upper stage where crew and cargo will eventually ride through space.
This upcoming flight marks another critical step toward turning this colossal spacecraft from a bold idea into a practical reality. SpaceX engineers have implemented several hardware upgrades designed to improve reliability following the recent launch failures. Despite the setbacks, the company remains committed to pushing the boundaries of space technology with each test.
As the countdown ticks down to liftoff, all eyes will be on Boca Chica. Whether watching from the launch site or streaming online, this next Starship test flight promises to be an unforgettable moment in the quest to open the solar system for human exploration.
