Ryan Weber

Saint Paul

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Articles

Booster 14 Refiles, SpaceX already preparing next vehicle for Primary Objectives

2 weeks ago | nasaspaceflight.com | Ryan Weber

0 Starship Flight 9 is in the books, and SpaceX reflew a Super Heavy Booster and, on the third try, got a Block 2 Ship past Second Stage Engine Cutoff (SECO). However, Ship 35 would not complete its primary objective of obtaining heat shield reentry data due to its uncontrolled reentry. This did not deter SpaceX, however, as just eight days after Flight 9, Booster 16 was rolled to Pad A for static fire testing.
The Future of the Starship Program, Block 3 and Mars

4 weeks ago | nasaspaceflight.com | Ryan Weber

3 SpaceX CEO Elon Musk gave a talk to employees inside the Starfactory, laying out the future of the Starship Program in terms of hardware and reuse. He also revealed SpaceX’s ambitious plan to colonize Mars over the next decade. Next Generation StarshipBlock 3 or Next Generation Ship appears to be slated to start with Ship 39. Currently, that Ship has pieces inside Starfactory under construction.
Third Time's the Charm? Starship Flight 9

1 month ago | nasaspaceflight.com | Ryan Weber

1 After a pair of Ship failures for Block 2 and an extended downtime between flights, SpaceX is set to try and break the streak with Flight 9 and get a Ship past Second Stage Engine Cut Off (SECO). Also, Booster 14 will be flying for its second time, marking the first reuse of a Super Heavy Booster in the Starship program. Launch is set for Tuesday evening from Starbase, Texas. Flight 7 & 8So far, Block 2 of the Ship has not had the success SpaceX would’ve liked.
Third time's the charm? Starship Flight 9 ready for flight

1 month ago | share.google | Ryan Weber

36 After a pair of Block 2 Ship failures and an extended downtime between flights, SpaceX is set to fly Starship’s ninth flight test and attempt to fly a Ship past second stage engine cutoff. Booster 14 will fly a second time, marking the first reuse of a Super Heavy booster in the Starship program. Liftoff of Ship 35 and Booster 14 is scheduled for 6:30 PM CDT (23:30 UTC) on Tuesday, May 27, from Orbital Launch Pad A (OLP-A) at SpaceX’s launch facility in Starbase, Texas.
Third time's the charm? Starship Flight 9 ready for flight

1 month ago | nasaspaceflight.com | Ryan Weber

6 After a pair of Block 2 Ship failures and an extended downtime between flights, SpaceX is set to fly Starship’s ninth flight test and attempt to fly a Ship past second stage engine cutoff. Booster 14 will fly a second time, marking the first reuse of a Super Heavy booster in the Starship program. Liftoff of Ship 35 and Booster 14 is scheduled for 6:30 PM CDT (23:30 UTC) on May 27 from Orbital Launch Pad A at SpaceX’s launch facility in Starbase, Texas.
As Ship 35 Static Fires, SpaceX has a Fleet a Vehicles Getting Ready for Flight

1 month ago | nasaspaceflight.com | Ryan Weber

1 SpaceX continues to build and test Starships, with a current fleet of four boosters undergoes refurbishment and testing, along with numerous Ships. Flight 9 might be only a few weeks away, with Ship 35 having completed engine testing; however, it might not have been a nominal test. ShipsShip 35 finished stacking in early February of this year. With the failures of Ship 33 and Ship 34, SpaceX has spent extra time preparing this Ship for flight.
Starship program laying groundwork for huge facilities in Texas and Florida

2 months ago | nasaspaceflight.com | Ryan Weber

1 SpaceX is busy creating launch and production capacity for the future of its Starship program, focusing on huge Gigabays at both Starbase in Texas and Roberts Road in Florida. To cater for this future production cadence, SpaceX’s launch sites for Starship are also a focus of its attention, with the second pad at Starbase making solid progress, while activity at the Starship site at KSC’s 39A is now in full swing.
Booster 14 Completes Milestone Static Fire Ahead of Flight 9

2 months ago | nasaspaceflight.com | Ryan Weber

1 SpaceX has now completed the first-ever static fire of a flown Super Heavy Booster, Booster 14, which is set to fly on Flight 9. Ship 35, which is also set to fly on Flight 9, is expected to be the next milestone ahead of flight, as it waits to complete engine testing at Masseys. Booster 14 Static FireOn April 1, SpaceX rolled Booster 14 out to the launch site and placed it on Orbital Launch Pad A.
SpaceX Continues Progress on Next Generation Facilities

Mar 28, 2025 | nasaspaceflight.com | Ryan Weber

1 With the downtime between Flight 8 and Flight 9, SpaceX is continuing to build Orbital Launch Pad B and has started the demolition of High Bay. Pad B is SpaceX’s next-generation Orbital Launch Pad, while the demolition of High Bay will make way for Gigabay, the next-generation construction and servicing facility. Orbital Pad BSpaceX has continued progressing on Orbital Launch Pad B over the past few weeks.
SpaceX press on with pre-launch testing while working Ship issue mitigation

Mar 13, 2025 | nasaspaceflight.com | Ryan Weber

1 SpaceX continues to press on with pre-flight testing for Flight 9, while internally looking to resolve issues with the Ship that has resulted in the loss of the first two Block 2 vehicles. Ship 35 and Booster 16 – the potential pairing for Flight 9 – have been cryotested at the Masseys test site. Booster 15 As was the outcome of Flight 7, the only successful part of Flight 8 was the Booster.