SpaceX Prepares Starship Megarocket for Critical Test Flight Amid Setbacks
SpaceX is gearing up for the next major test of Starship, the most powerful rocket system ever built, as the company works to resolve a string of high-profile failures and safety concerns.
The launch is scheduled for Sunday at 7:30 PM ET, though the exact time may shift depending on weather and technical conditions. SpaceX will livestream the event, beginning approximately 30 minutes before liftoff.
This upcoming uncrewed test flight will follow a trajectory similar to previous missions and aims to complete objectives that were missed in earlier attempts. All three previous test flights ended prematurely, with some resulting in dramatic explosions and widespread debris.
Starship’s Turbulent Test History
SpaceX introduced the current generation of Starship in January 2025, after successfully flying smaller prototypes in 2024. But the full-sized version has faced serious issues.
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Two Starships exploded over populated areas east of Florida.
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Debris from the rockets landed in Turks and Caicos and washed ashore in the Bahamas.
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The most recent test in May ended with the spacecraft spiraling out of control before crashing into the Indian Ocean.
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In June, a Starship prototype exploded during a static engine test in South Texas, causing shrapnel damage to company infrastructure.
These setbacks have triggered international concern. The Mexican government is considering legal action due to space debris on its coastline, and the UK government has voiced safety concerns for its overseas territories, including Turks and Caicos.
Global Stakes for Starship’s Success
Despite these challenges, SpaceX continues to press forward. The stakes are high: NASA plans to use Starship for its Artemis missions, aiming to return astronauts to the Moon by 2027. The rocket is also central to the United States' ambitions to stay ahead of China in the new space race.
“It’s very hard to predict how this will end,” said Garrett Reisman, a former NASA astronaut and SpaceX advisor.
“Starship could fail completely — or it could change the future of space exploration and geopolitics.”
What’s New for This Test Flight?
SpaceX has made several key upgrades to the Starship system after investigating the failure in May:
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Modifications to the fuel diffuser, a component believed to have caused excessive pressure buildup in the rocket’s nose cone.
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This pressure likely led to the vehicle’s loss of control, according to SpaceX’s latest technical report.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has completed its review of the last incident and granted approval for Sunday’s launch.
Looking Ahead
With intense global scrutiny and critical missions on the horizon, this test flight marks a pivotal moment for SpaceX’s Starship program. Success could solidify its role as the future of deep space exploration. Failure, however, could deepen concerns about safety, regulation, and the future of commercial spaceflight.