SpaceX has tested the boundaries of its Starship rocket system with a historic test flight designed to push the envelope further in a quest to return astronauts to the moon and send humans to Mars. The nearly 400-foot-tall vehicle, valued at $3 billion, is slated to serve as a lunar lander ferrying humans to the moon’s surface by 2027.
The imminent flight will test an upgrade of Starship that aims to improve its capabilities and ability to survive the trip home from space. The vehicle will also carry out an experimental maneuver designed to test how satellites might deploy from this “new generation” of the spaceship. SpaceX has agreed to pay NASA nearly $3 billion for its development.
Liftoff is expected, followed by deployment of 10 satellite simulators in a suborbital path. Starship will also attempt to reignite one of its engines, testing out how the spacecraft might light up its propulsion system more than once on future missions that require multiple engine burns.
The road ahead for SpaceX’s Starship program remains long, with several challenges to overcome before it can return humans to the moon’s surface or take the first humans to Mars. However, with each successful test flight, the company is one step closer to achieving its ambitious goals.
Source: https://edition.cnn.com/2025/01/15/science/spacex-starship-test-launch-megarocket/index.html