In photos: SpaceX's Starship SN9 prototype soars 10 km, crash-lands in Texas
(Image credit: SpaceX)
SpaceX launched its Starship SN9 prototype on a 10-kilometer (6.2 miles) test flight that ended with a boom on Feb. 2, 2021. See photos of the epic test in this gallery.
Above: SpaceX's 165-foot-tall (50 meters) Starship SN9 prototype stands at the company's South Texas site on Jan. 21, 2021.
Full story: SpaceX's Starship SN9 launches to 10 km, crashes during landing
(Image credit: SpaceX)
After successfully soaring to an altitude of 10 kilometers (6.2 miles), SpaceX's Starship SN9 prototype smashed into the touchdown site about 6.5 minutes after liftoff, exploding in a massive fireball.
The epic "boom" looked a lot like the fate of SN9's predecessor, SN8, which launched to an altitude of about 7.8 miles (12.5 kilometers) on Dec. 8, 2020, before returning to the launch pad with a crash.
Related: Relive SpaceX's Starship SN8 test launch with this epic recap video
(Image credit: SpaceX)
The shiny, stainless-steel Starship SN9 prototype lifts off from SpaceX's South Texas facility, on the Gulf Coast near the small community of Boca Chica Village, on Feb. 2, 2021, at 3:25 p.m. EST (1825 GMT; 2:25 p.m. local Texas time).
(Image credit: SpaceX)
SpaceX's Starship SN9 rocket prototype rises above the Boca Chica beach region of South Texas on Feb. 2, 2021.
(Image credit: SpaceX)
SpaceX's Starship SN9 takes to the skies after lifting off from the company's South Texas site on Feb. 2, 2021. The 165-foot-tall (50 meters) craft appeared to fly well, shutting down its three Raptor engines sequentially as planned, reaching its target altitude of about 6.2 miles (10 kilometers).
(Image credit: SpaceX)
The Starship SN9 prototype is seen after a flip maneuver, which SpaceX refers to as a "belly flop," to return to Earth after reaching its target 10-kilometer altitude.
(Image credit: SpaceX)
A SpaceX camera on the ground captures the Starship SN9 prototype as it attempts to land.
(Image credit: SpaceX)
During its descent back to Earth, SN9 did not slow down enough for a vertical landing — nor was the spacecraft completely vertical.
(Image credit: SpaceX)
A plume rises over the crash site of SpaceX's Starship SN9 after its test ended in a hard impact and explosion. The Starship SN10 vehicle is visible to the left of the plume.
(Image credit: SpaceX)
SpaceX's Starship SN9 and SN10 prototypes met at the pad for the first time on Jan. 29, 2021. The SN10 vehicle, SpaceX's latest in a line of new reusable Starship prototypes, rolled out to the pad as its SN9 counterpart awaited its own test flight.
Full story: SpaceX has two Starship prototypes on the pad at the same time
(Image credit: SpaceX/Elon Musk via Twitter)
SpaceX's Starship SN10 (left) rolls out to its test stand while the company's Starship SN9 stands on its own pad at the company's South Texas facility near Boca Chica Village on Jan. 29, 2021.
(Image credit: SpaceX)
SpaceX's Starship SN9 rocket prototype (center) launches on a 10-kilometer test flight from the company's South Texas facility on Feb. 2, 2021. Its successor SN10 is seen in the foreground at right.
(Image credit: SpaceX)
A closeup view of the three Raptor engines that powered SpaceX's Starship SN9 prototype. Two of those engines had to be replaced before SN9's big flight test, after SpaceX identified problems with the two engines during a series of static fire tests on Jan. 13, 2021.
Full story: SpaceX swapping out two engines on Starship SN9 prototype ahead of test flight
(Image credit: SpaceX)
The sun rises behind SpaceX's Starship SN9 prototype at the company's South Texas launch site, on Jan. 4, 2021.
(Image credit: Elon Musk via Twitter)
SpaceX's Starship SN9 prototype performs a static-fire test on Jan. 22, 2021.
Full story: SpaceX's Starship SN9 fires up rocket engines three times in one day
(Image credit: SPadre.com)
SpaceX's SN9 Starship prototype conducts its first static-fire test, on Jan. 6, 2021, in this footage captured by SPadre.com
Full story: SpaceX's Starship SN9 fires up rocket engines three times in one day
(Image credit: SPadre.com via Twitter)
SpaceX's SN9 Starship prototype performs its second static-fire test, on Jan. 13, 2021. Photo captured by SPadre.com.
Full story: SpaceX's Starship SN9 fires up rocket engines three times in one day
(Image credit: Planet Labs Inc.)
SpaceX's Starship SN9 and SN10 prototypes are seen from space in this image from a SkySat satellite.
Full story: Satellite spots SpaceX's Starship SN9 from space ahead of explosive test flight
(Image credit: Planet Labs Inc.)
SpaceX's Starship SN9 and SN10 prototypes are seen from space in this image from a SkySat satellite.
Full story: Satellite spots SpaceX's Starship SN9 from space ahead of explosive test flight
Space.com is the premier source of space exploration, innovation and astronomy news, chronicling (and celebrating) humanity's ongoing expansion across the final frontier. Originally founded in 1999, Space.com is, and always has been, the passion of writers and editors who are space fans and also trained journalists. Our current news team consists of Editor-in-Chief Tariq Malik; Editor Hanneke Weitering, Senior Space Writer Mike Wall; Senior Writer Meghan Bartels; Senior Writer Chelsea Gohd, Senior Writer Tereza Pultarova and Staff Writer Alexander Cox, focusing on e-commerce. Senior Producer Steve Spaleta oversees our space videos, with Diana Whitcroft as our Social Media Editor.
Join our Space Forums to keep talking space on the latest missions, night sky and more! And if you have a news tip, correction or comment, let us know at: community@space.com.