SpaceX Plans a New Starship Test Flight After January Explosion

The American space exploration company SpaceX is preparing for another Starship test flight. This comes after the second stage of the rocket exploded over the Caribbean Sea during a test flight in January.

This will be the eighth test flight, using a modified version of Starship, standing 123 meters tall—equivalent to a 40-story building. The launch is scheduled from Boca Chica, Texas, at 5:30 PM local time (11:30 PM GMT).

During this test, SpaceX aims to conduct various experiments on the second stage and recover the first stage, called Super Heavy, using a complex maneuver that was successfully executed in January.

After separation, Super Heavy is expected to perform a controlled descent toward the launch site. The landing will be aided by mechanical arms attached to the launch tower, designed to secure the booster’s return.

SpaceX’s ultimate goal is to make Starship fully reusable, which would significantly reduce costs and resource consumption for space missions.

In January’s test flight, the spacecraft exploded minutes after launch, scattering burning debris across the Caribbean Sea. The explosion caused minor damages in the Turks and Caicos Islands, more than 2,500 km from the launch site.

In response, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) briefly rerouted air traffic to avoid potential collisions with debris. The agency also ordered an investigation and temporarily suspended Starship flights pending further review.