SpaceX Preps First Reused Super Heavy Booster for Starship’s Next Launch

SpaceX has launched its massive Starship rocket eight times and caught its Super Heavy booster three times in the giant mechanical arms of Mechazilla. Unlike Starship’s upper stage, the booster is now ready for its next steps toward achieving launch, landing, and reuse. In a post shared on Thursday, SpaceX revealed that it was prepping to launch a Super Heavy Booster that had already flown before. The booster previously lifted off and returned during the rocket’s seventh test flight on January 16, and 29 of its 33 Raptor engines are “flight-proven,” the company wrote on X. Static fire of the Super Heavy preparing to launch Starship's ninth flight test. This booster previously launched and returned on Flight 7 and 29 of its 33 Raptor engines are flight proven pic.twitter.com/XBOvoZezvJ — SpaceX (@SpaceX) April 3, 2025 SpaceX carried out a static fire test of the booster ahead of Flight 9, marking the first test of a Super Heavy Booster that has already flown to the edge of space, rep ... Read full article.