SpaceX is preparing for its next major test flight of the Starship rocket on Friday, following a previous attempt that ended in a dramatic mid-air explosion, forcing several commercial flights to reroute.
While the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is still investigating the incident, it has issued a launch notice on its website. SpaceX CEO Elon Musk also confirmed the targeted launch date on X, though the exact time remains unannounced.
Lifting off from SpaceX’s Starbase in Texas, this will be the eighth test flight of Starship, the powerful rocket Musk envisions as the key to sending humans to the Moon, Mars, and beyond.
The last test flight, on January 17, resulted in Starship exploding, scattering debris that led to flight diversions. Video footage captured glowing orange streaks in the sky above Port-au-Prince, Haiti, accompanied by smoke trails.
That mission was crucial for SpaceX, testing new structural upgrades and the rocket’s capability to deploy payloads. The vehicle was carrying 10 mock Starlink satellites.
Dr. Sarath Raj, project director at Amity University Dubai’s satellite ground station, told The National that this test flight could again focus on payload deployment, a critical milestone for Starship’s commercial operations.
“Earlier test flights primarily assessed the vehicle’s ascent, re-entry, and controlled descent,” he explained. “This mission is about verifying a key feature: the ability to deploy payloads effectively. If successful, it will confirm Starship’s capability to place satellites and other cargo in orbit.”
Such a feature is vital for future missions, including expanding the Starlink satellite constellation, conducting scientific experiments, and eventually transporting crew and cargo to deep space destinations like the Moon and Mars.
SpaceX has not yet released a final cause for the previous flight’s failure, but Musk previously suggested that a propellant leak might have been the issue. “Preliminary findings indicate an oxygen/fuel leak above the ship engine firewall, leading to excessive pressure buildup,” he stated after the test. However, he also noted that nothing suggested a delay beyond February.
Unlike traditional aerospace companies, SpaceX follows a rapid iterative development model, quickly building and testing rockets in real flights to gather data and refine designs. This strategy has been key to the success of Falcon 9, which now boasts a high success rate.
This approach has also driven major breakthroughs in Starship’s development, including returning the Super Heavy Booster and Starship spacecraft safely and demonstrating mid-air booster recovery using mechanical arms on the launch tower.
Friday’s launch aligns with Musk’s broader push to establish humanity as a “multiplanetary species.” On Thursday, he called for the International Space Station (ISS) to be retired within the next two years, urging a shift toward Mars exploration.
NASA and its global partners—including the European Space Agency, Canada, Japan, and Russia—had already planned to retire the ISS by 2030. SpaceX has been awarded a contract to develop a vehicle for its safe deorbiting.
Musk’s influence extends beyond SpaceX, as he leads the Department of Government Efficiency (Doge), an advisory body auditing federal agencies, including NASA. This has created uncertainty over NASA’s future funding and programs, as Doge’s recommendations could impact budget allocations.
With the next test flight just days away, all eyes are on SpaceX to see if Starship can take another step toward revolutionizing space travel.
The scheduled launch time is 5:30 PM CST (23:30 UTC) on February 28, 2025, from Starbase, Texas. Space enthusiasts and stakeholders are eagerly anticipating this flight, as it represents a significant milestone in SpaceX’s journey toward revolutionizing space travel.
