SpaceX has already sent the new SN9 to the launch pad, and even at the end of the year, it is making its newest rocket available for testing in the Starship project.
The use of SN9 occurs after SpaceX performed a historic flight with the SN8 prototype, which unfortunately exploded upon landing, something already expected in tests by the engineer.
The SN9 prototype is expected to enter testing in January of this year, after SpaceX completes the cleaning and reassembly of the launch and landing points in Boca Raton.
The prototype was almost scrapped after an accident earlier this month. On the morning of December 11th, as SN9 was awaiting launch in the "High Bay" storage building near the launch pad, an unknown problem caused the rocket bed to partially collapse and tilt the rocket about five degrees. before crashing into a wall on the side.
Thanks to the angle and direction in which the SN9 fell, the rocket suffered only minor damage to the exterior, which was repaired in the following days.
The SN9 is expected to repeat the same test sequence as the SN8, with a high-altitude, straight-line flight and a successful landing attempt, if possible.
Its flight data will also determine how long it takes future prototypes to reach the next goal of reaching an altitude of 20 kilometers.
