SpaceX is reportedly making significant strides in reusing its Super Heavy booster for the Starship program, even as the upper stage faces challenges.
On April 3, 2025, at 9:40 am local time, the company conducted a test firing of Booster 14 at its Starbase launch site in South Texas.
This booster, which previously reached the edge of space in January, was ignited for the first time since its initial flight, marking a crucial step toward its reflight readiness.
SpaceX confirmed that Booster 14, which has 29 out of 33 methane-fueled Raptor engines designated as “flight-proven,” will be used in the next Starship launch.
The successful reflight of the booster is essential as SpaceX aims to achieve zero-touch reflight capabilities, enhancing the overall efficiency of its launches.
Super Heavy boasts the power of nearly 17 million pounds of thrust, making it the most powerful rocket booster ever built.
Despite recent successes, SpaceX engineers are addressing complications with Starship’s upper stage, which has experienced back-to-back failures during tests.
The upgraded Block 2 version of Starship lost engine power and tumbled out of control in recent flights, highlighting the need for improvements before further testing.
While SpaceX has successfully recovered three Super Heavy boosters in four attempts, the company aims to replicate the rapid reuse it has achieved with Falcon 9 rockets.
Plans for future missions include testing in-orbit refueling capabilities and preparing for NASA contracts related to lunar landings.
As SpaceX continues to refine its technology, the next steps involve preparing the upper stage for its own tests and ultimately integrating it with the Super Heavy booster for launch.
Although delays are anticipated, progress continues towards making spaceflight more sustainable through reuse.
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