SpaceX Starship’s next high-flight test could take off on Tuesday

Just in time to distract myself from ongoing chaos in Washington, DC, SpaceX is working on another high-altitude test flight of its next generation space flight system.

The latest prototype of Elon Musk starship, which is identified by the serial number SN9, went through a brief firing test of its Raptor engines at the company’s development facility in Boca Chica, Texas, on Wednesday, January 6. The test is part of a series of checks, which could include another static fire, leading to a launch that could take place as early as Tuesday.

Airspace restrictions are in place around Boca Chica for Wednesday and Thursday as well. The previous restrictions in effect for Friday, January 8, Sunday, January 10 and Monday, January 11 have been lifted.

SpaceX has been testing and iterating the design of its starship for the past two years, beginning with a series of low altitude jumps. “The first successful flight at significant altitude came last month, when the SN8 reached approximately the same altitude as commercial jets do much of its cruise.

The milestone was followed by a fall back to Earth and a new landing maneuver that seemed to be successful in orienting the rocket, but unfortunately SN8 came too fast and found a spectacular and explosive ending.

We could be lucky and see the sequence of the SN8 ordeal on Tuesday, but scrubs and delays have been part of the routine of the starship’s development process, so it seems equally likely that we will have to wait until the end of the week or even later by month.

Whenever the SN9 flies, we will definitely take the video here. Stay tuned.