SpaceX Starship flight 8 launch is now Monday, March 3.
Super Heavy at Starbase on the launchpad ahead of Starship’s eighth test flight on Monday March 3, 2020.
Now targeting to launch Starship’s eighth flight test as soon as Monday, March 3 – https://t.co/alyJTRtOIP https://t.co/nVu5uHMGwi
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) February 27, 2025
The eighth flight test of Starship is preparing to launch as soon as Monday, March 3. You can view a live webcast about 40 minutes prior to liftoff. The webcast can be viewed on the X TV App. Check back here for the latest updates and follow our X page.
Following the completion of an investigation into the early loss of Starship during its seventh flight, several changes in hardware and operations have been implemented to improve the reliability of the upper phase. The full report of the investigation into the accident can be found here.
This flight will follow the same trajectory suborbital as the previous tests and target the objectives that were not achieved on previous tests, such as Starship’s initial payload deployment. It will also include multiple reentry experiment geared toward returning the upper phase to the launch area for catching. This flight includes the Super Heavy booster launch, the return and the catch. The previous test flight featured extensive upgrades made to Starship’s upper stage, aimed at improving reliability and performance in all phases of the flight. Starship’s flaps on the forward side have been improved to reduce exposure to heat from reentry while also simplifying the mechanisms. The propulsion system has been redesigned, with a 25% increase in propellant over the previous generation. This will add to vehicle performance, and allow it to perform longer missions. The vehicle’s avionics were completely redesigned, allowing for increased capability and redundant systems to be used in increasingly complex missions such as propellant transfers and returning the ship to its launch site.
As part of the initial exercise for a satellite deployment mission, Starship is deploying four Starlink simulations that are similar to the next-generation Starlink Satellites. Starlink will deploy four simulators on the exact same trajectory of Starship, and they are scheduled to die upon landing. It is also intended to relight a Raptor Engine in orbit.
Several experiments are included in the flight test to enable Starship’s upper phase to return to its launch site. Starship has had a large number of tiles removed to test vulnerable areas. Several metallic tiles, one of which has active cooling will be used to test different materials that can protect Starship when it reenters the atmosphere. Starship catch fittings, which are not structural, will be installed on the side of the vehicle to evaluate their thermal performance. A section of the tileline is also being tapered and smoothed to reduce hot spots that were observed in the sixth Starship flight test. Starship’s entry profile was designed so that the rear flaps of the upper stages are intentionally stressed at maximum dynamic pressure. Finaly, a number of radar sensors are being tested again on the catch and launch tower chopsticks in order to improve the accuracy with which distances can be measured between them and the returning vehicle. This Super Heavy booster features an upgraded avionics system, which includes a powerful flight computer and improved network and power distribution. It also has smart batteries integrated.
Before the Super Heavy booster can be returned and caught, certain vehicle and pad requirements must be met. This includes healthy booster systems and the tower as well as a manual final command by the Mission’s Flight Director. This command must be sent before the end of the booster burn or, if the automated health check shows that Super Heavy and the tower are in unacceptable condition, then the booster defaults to a trajectory of a soft landing into the Gulf of America. The safety of our team and the public is paramount, so booster returns will only be allowed if the conditions are perfect.
As the booster returns, it will reduce its speed from supersonic to a level that can be heard in the vicinity of the landing area. The only sound that is heard by those who are in the vicinity of the sonic blast will be a brief, thunderous noise. Weather and the distance to the landing site determine the intensity. By definition, development testing is unpredictable. By putting the flight hardware into a flight-like environment, as often as possible we can quickly adapt and make design changes. We’re working to get Starship on line as a fully reusable and fully reusable vehicle. Brian Wang, a Futurist and Science Blogger with over 1,000,000 monthly readers
is an expert in the field of Futurist Thinking. Nextbigfuture.com, his blog is the #1 Science News Blog. The blog covers a wide range of disruptive technologies and trends, including Space, Robotics and Artificial Intelligence. It also includes Medicine, Antiaging Biotechnology and Nanotechnology. He is a co-founder of a high-potential early-stage company and a fundraiser.
Recognized for his ability to identify cutting-edge technologies. He is Head of Research for Allocations for Deep Technology Investments and an Angel investor at Space Angels. He is a frequent speaker for corporations. In addition to being a TEDx Speaker, he was also a Singularity University Speaker and a guest on numerous radio and podcast interviews. He accepts public speaking engagements and advisory roles.
