Update: January 16, 10:43 am ET: With improved weather conditions in Boca Chica, SpaceX is preparing another attempt to launch Starship on its seventh mission. The 60-minute launch window opens at 5:00 pm ET.
Update: January 15, 1:14 pm ET: Bad weather has forced today’s launch to be scrapped. SpaceX is now targeting Thursday, January 16, with a 60-minute launch window that opens at 5:00 pm ET.
The first article follows.
SpaceX is preparing for a Starship launch unlike any other. In its seventh launch from the Texas base, the rocket will test Starlink simulators and test key hardware upgrades.
Starship is scheduled to lift off on Wednesday, January 15, during a 60-minute launch window that opens at 5 pm ET. The largest rocket ever built will be launched from SpaceX’s Starbase facility in Boca Chica, Texas. The live broadcast of the seventh Starship test flight will begin approximately 35 minutes before the launch time, and you can open the SpaceX website or through the company’s profile on X. You can also watch third-party coverage in the live feed shown below.
Although the first Starship test flights got off to a rough start, SpaceX has enjoyed success with the last few launches of its versatile megarocket. In October 2024, Starship launched the fifth test flight which saw the rocket’s Super Heavy 232-foot-tall (71 meters) held in the air by the giant tower of Mechazilla, as it is nicknamed. The latest test flight of the rocket took place on November 20, 2024, and although SpaceX opted out of the booster catch, Starship was operational during its suborbital launch. With this seventh launch, SpaceX will attempt to successfully hold a second large booster.
This time, SpaceX plans to launch “a new generation ship with significant improvements,” the company wrote in a statement. During Wednesday’s launch, SpaceX will attempt the first Starship payload test. For this test, the rocket will use 10 Starlink simulators, which will be similar in size and weight to the company’s next-generation satellites. The simulators, however, will not remain in orbit, but are designed to re-enter the same suborbital trajectory as the rocket itself.
For its seventh flight, the Starship will have a small forward flap placed high on top of the rocket to reduce heat during re-entry. The rocket propulsion system was also upgraded to hold 25% more fuel, as well as improved avionics for better valve control and sensor reading, enhancing performance and allowing longer travel, according to SpaceX.
The Starship heat shield will use new, improved tiles, with a backup layer underneath in case any tiles fall off or sustain damage during re-installation. SpaceX also redesigned the Starship’s avionics to include a “powerful flight computer,” and integrated antennas to integrate Starlink, GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System), and backup radio frequency communications functions into each unit.
SpaceX’s future rocket is a two-stage, reusable heavy-lift vehicle designed to carry crews and cargo to orbit, the Moon, and possibly Mars. The company has big plans for its Starship rocket this year, hoping to launch 25 times by 2025. That’s great for astronauts, but it can mean bad news for the environment around the launch site as the rocket produces sonic booms about 10 times higher. higher than SpaceX’s Falcon 9.
Additional reporting by George Dvorsky.