Flight 9: V2 continues, profile incomplete
May 27, 2025 flew the first reused Super Heavy (Booster 14). The booster was lost before Gulf splashdown, and Ship 35 failed to deploy its simulators before breaking up over the Indian Ocean.
What happened
Flight 9 flew on May 27, 2025 as the first reuse of a Super Heavy booster — Booster 14 returned after its Flight 7 catch.
The booster completed ascent and a high angle-of-attack return profile but was lost before splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico.
Ship objectives
Ship 35 reached engine cutoff but could not deploy its eight Starlink simulator satellites. A fuel leak led to loss of control.
The ship was passivated before reentry and broke up over the Indian Ocean — leaving deploy and clean entry still open for Flight 10.
Setting up Flight 10
Reuse of the booster was a milestone even with the loss. The next flight would be judged on whether V2 could finally string ascent, deploy, relight, and splashdown into one clean scorecard.