Under its ongoing efforts to redefine space exploration, SpaceX is preparing to showcase something new in its next Starship launch. The company announced that with the seventh flight test of Starship, it will deploy a payload into space for the first time. This upcoming flight will also feature a new-generation Starship with significant upgrades, the company said in a blog post. These payloads consist of 10 mock Starlink satellites or ‘Starlink simulators.’ They are similar in size and weight to the next-generation Starlink satellites.
This will be the seventh launch in SpaceX’s experimental approach, where new upgrades are trialed and refined with each flight. This Starship flight is expected to take off from SpaceX’s large facilities located in Boca Chica (Texas). After liftoff, these 10 mock spacecraft will travel along the same path as Starship’s upper stage. They will eventually splash down into the Indian Ocean.
During the upcoming launch, SpaceX will also test Starship’s reentry capabilities. In addition, the company will focus on the Super Heavy booster. They will attempt to catch the same after it has been used. Notably, in October, SpaceX successfully recovered the Super Heavy booster by catching it during its fifth test flight. It’s part of SpaceX’s efforts to reuse rockets, making space travel more sustainable and cost-effective. This is similar to how the Elon Musk-owned company recovers and reuses Falcon boosters. Meanwhile, the seventh test flight is expected to occur later this month.
Interestingly, this announcement comes at a time when SpaceX – founded in 2002 – is reportedly considering a tender offer to sell insider shares, which could value the company at a staggering $350 billion. SpaceX’s most recent valuation was $210 billion.
The space-tech giant currently relies on its Falcon 9 rocket to launch Starlink satellites. However, the next-generation satellites are expected to be much heavier than the current ones. Therefore, Starship comes into play with its larger payload capacity. Starship is a two-stage, fully reusable, super heavy-lift launch vehicle developed by SpaceX.
Earlier, the Starship rocket’s sixth test flight took place in November. This flight gained additional significance as U.S. President-elect Donald Trump was also present. However, due to a launchpad issue, the Super Heavy booster was forced to target a water landing in the Gulf of Mexico rather than its intended recovery attempt.
These Starship tests are crucial for SpaceX, given the company’s future business plans and partnerships with NASA and others. Meanwhile, the space economy is projected to grow to $1.8 trillion by 2035. Speaking of achievements, SpaceX has completed approximately 130 launches in 2024. The U.S. government itself is counted among SpaceX’s largest launch customers.
