Boca Chica, Texas – Following Starship’s successful third test flight last week, SpaceX is wasting no time in preparing for the next launch. The 400-foot-tall Starship, the largest and most powerful rocket ever built, achieved significant milestones during its recent test flight from SpaceX’s Starbase site in South Texas. The rocket’s upper stage, known as Starship, reached orbital velocity and remained airborne for approximately 50 minutes before disintegrating during reentry into Earth’s atmosphere. Additionally, the rocket’s first stage, Super Heavy, performed well during its boostback burn but broke apart above the Gulf of Mexico instead of splashing down as planned.
SpaceX is currently analyzing data from the previous flight while simultaneously moving forward with plans for the fourth test mission. The company has relocated the upcoming flight’s Ship to the launch pad at Starbase for prelaunch static fires. Pending successful static fires and other tests, Starship could potentially launch again as early as May, according to SpaceX President and COO Gwynne Shotwell.
In a recent Twitter post, SpaceX shared images of the Ship at the launch pad and hinted at multiple Starship test flights planned for the year. SpaceX founder and CEO Elon Musk has indicated the possibility of conducting six or more test flights in the coming months. The ultimate goal of the Starship project is to facilitate missions to the moon and Mars, as well as other spaceflight endeavors.
NASA has a vested interest in the progress of the Starship program, having selected the rocket as the primary crewed lunar lander for its Artemis moon missions. As per the current timeline, Starship is expected to land NASA astronauts on the moon for the first time in September 2026 during the Artemis 3 mission. The development of Starship represents a crucial step towards achieving NASA’s long-term goals of lunar exploration and beyond.