Starship ignited its Raptor engines Monday morning on a test stand near SpaceX's Starbase launch facility in South Texas. The engine ran for approximately 60 seconds, and SpaceX confirmed the test-firing in a post on X: "Starship completed a long duration six-engine static fire and is undergoing final preparations for the ninth flight test."

A November 2023 rocket failure from Elon Musk’s SpaceX actually bre the atmosphere. For the first time in mankind’s history, a hole was blown in the ionosphere […]

SpaceX's Starship splashed down in the Indian Ocean about an hour after launch. A camera on buoy captured the fireworks. Credit: Space.com | footage courtesy SpaceX | edited by Steve Spaleta

Tonight's launch was SpaceX's 54th Falcon 9 mission of 2025 and 56th liftoff so far this year. The other two missions involved Starship, SpaceX's next-generation super-heavy-lift rocket. The company is gearing up for another Starship test flight — the vehicle's ninth overall — in the coming weeks.

SpaceX officials hope to modify their FAA license to jump from 50 annual Falcon launches to 120 at Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

Musk said in an interview this week with Fox News host Jesse Watters that his focus on Mars has to do with ensuring humanity's longterm survival.

SpaceX Starship 25 and Super Heavy booster 9 launched to orbit from the Starbase facility in South Texas. See tracking cam footage of the booster engine cutoff and stage separation. Credit: SpaceX | edited by Space.