SpaceX is set to launch its seventh uncrewed test flight of the Starship spacecraft on Monday, with a historic attempt at catching a booster and deploying a Starlink satellite payload. The company has announced plans for a “new generation” Starship, featuring upgrades and new objectives, building on last year’s milestones.
The FAA has issued a launch license for the test, clearing the way for SpaceX to launch the world’s largest rocket from South Texas. The Starship vehicle is equipped with a new propulsion system, heat shield, and upper stage, designed to improve performance and enable longer missions.
During the test, mission operators will attempt to deploy 10 Starlink simulators, which will be on the same suborbital trajectory as Starship. SpaceX aims to catch the booster at the launch pad, a maneuver that has been pulled off only once before. The company has upgraded the catch tower with new hardware to make it more feasible.
The test is part of SpaceX’s ambitious plans for 25 flight tests this year, with the goal of bringing reuse of the entire system online and flying increasingly ambitious missions. Elon Musk hopes to win federal approval to increase the number of flight tests conducted in 2024.
SpaceX will host a livestream of the launch starting about 35 minutes before liftoff on its website and social media platform X. The webcast will also be available on the SpaceX’s new X TV app.
Source: https://eu.statesman.com/story/news/state/2025/01/13/spacex-launch-schedule-2025-starship-when-date-time-test-flight-monday-rocket-booster-catch-texas/77593328007