SpaceX is also flying rudimentary catch fittings on Starship to test their thermal performance on reentry. The ship will fly a more demanding trajectory during descent to probe the structural limits of the redesigned flaps at the point of maximum entry dynamic pressure, according to SpaceX.

SpaceX rolled the upper stage of its Starship megarocket out to the pad this morning (Jan. 9) ahead of its planned Jan. 13 test flight.

SpaceX’s most ambitious Starship flight yet will see reused hardware, the deployment of 10 fake satellites and another attempt to catch the booster with “chopsticks”

SpaceX crews are preparing for the 7th test launch of its Starship mega rocket. The world’s biggest rocket could launch again from SpaceX’s Starbase in Texas at 5 p.m. on Monday. SpaceX said Starship 7 is a “new generation” of its spacecraft that will test significant upgrades.

SpaceX aims to launch Starship Flight 7 on Monday (Jan. 13), an ambitious test that will feature an attempted launch-tower catch of the first-stage booster.