Elon Musk’s SpaceX is preparing for the seventh orbital flight test of Starship, the massive prototype rocket that the company hopes will aid in human colonization of Mars.
The test will take place from the company’s Starbase in Boca Chica, Texas, with a launch window opening at 4:00 PM (2200 GMT) Wednesday, and the event will be broadcast live on Musk’s X platform.
Space enthusiasts are eager to see if SpaceX can replicate the impressive achievement of catching the first-stage Super Heavy booster using the launch tower’s “chopstick” arms during descent, about seven minutes after liftoff.
This maneuver was successfully carried out in October but failed in November when President-elect Donald Trump joined Musk to witness the test from mission control.
This time, SpaceX has announced “hardware upgrades to the launch and catch tower to increase reliability for booster catch,” including improvements to sensor protections that were damaged during the launch and caused the booster’s diversion into the Gulf of Mexico.
Starship has also undergone several design changes. The latest iteration now stands at 403 feet (123 meters) tall, slightly taller than previous versions and about 100 feet higher than the Statue of Liberty.
Upgrades include a redesigned upper-stage propulsion system capable of carrying 25% more propellant, along with modifications to the forward flaps. The flaps have been reduced in size and repositioned to minimize exposure to intense heat during atmospheric reentry.
For the first time, Starship will deploy a payload: 10 Starlink simulators, which are similar in size and weight to the company’s internet satellites. Both the simulators and Starship’s upper stage are set to splash down in the Indian Ocean about an hour after launch.
Betting on Starship
SpaceX already dominates the orbital launch market with its Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy rockets, serving commercial clients, NASA, and the Pentagon.
However, the company has made it clear that it views Starship as its future, with Chief Operating Officer Gwynne Shotwell recently indicating that it would replace the Falcon rockets around the next decade.
Designed to be fully reusable, Starship’s test flights currently cost around $90 million, according to analytical group Payload Research, though Musk has expressed confidence in eventually reducing this cost to as low as $10 million per launch.
The first three test flights ended in dramatic explosions, resulting in the loss of vehicles. However, SpaceX has rapidly iterated on its design, reflecting its “fail fast, learn fast” philosophy.
Musk aims to significantly increase the frequency of tests, having requested permission from the Federal Aviation Administration to conduct 25 tests in 2025.
The FAA is currently holding public meetings on the issue. Critics have accused the company of causing environmental harm, including disruption to nearby ecologically sensitive areas and alleged violations of wastewater regulations at the launch site.
But with Musk now part of Trump’s inner circle, the billionaire may find a more favorable regulatory landscape under the incoming administration.
