SpaceX is preparing to launch the latest version of its massive Starship rocket system, marking a major step forward in the company’s plans for reusable deep-space travel and future moon missions.
The launch, scheduled for Thursday evening from SpaceX’s Starbase facility in South Texas, will be the 12th Starship test flight overall and the first for the new third-generation vehicle known as Starship V3.
The upgraded rocket is larger, more powerful and designed to move closer toward full reusability — a key goal for SpaceX and a major part of NASA’s future lunar ambitions.
Starship V3 stands approximately 408 feet tall when fully stacked, making it slightly taller than previous versions. The rocket also features upgraded engines capable of producing around 18 million pounds of thrust.
According to SpaceX, the redesign includes improvements to fuel capacity, booster guidance systems and overall performance to support missions involving satellite deployment, orbital refueling and eventually transporting humans to the Moon and Mars.
The company plans to test several new capabilities during the flight, including deploying 22 mock Starlink satellites and reigniting a Raptor engine in space — a critical maneuver needed for future orbital missions and safe returns to Earth.
The test mission is expected to last about 65 minutes, with the upper-stage spacecraft planned to splash down in the Indian Ocean afterward.
The launch is especially important because NASA intends to use Starship as part of its Artemis program, which aims to return astronauts to the Moon later this decade. SpaceX and Blue Origin are both developing lunar landers for planned moon missions.
Elon Musk also confirmed plans for a future public offering of SpaceX shares, a move that could become one of the largest initial public offerings in history.
Starship has faced several setbacks during earlier tests, including failed re-entries and midflight explosions. However, SpaceX is under pressure to have the vehicle ready for NASA’s Artemis III mission timeline, currently targeted for later next year.