What will SpaceX attempt on next Starship launch from Texas? Here's what to expect

USA Today

20 hours ago

SpaceX will attempt to return Starship's upper stage to the launch site for the first time and once again attempt to deploy test Starlink satellites during a mission known as flight 10.
During three separate Starship launches, SpaceX has proven it's capable of returning and "catching" the massive spacecraft's rocket booster at its South Texas launch site.
Now, the private rocket company founded in 2002 by Elon Musk is turning its attention elsewhere: Safely landing the vehicle's upper stage, where a crew of astronauts would one day ride to space.
The objective is just one of several SpaceX has in store for its next Starship launch from its Starbase headquarters in the Rio Grande Valley. SpaceX also announced plans to take a fourth shot at deploying test Starlink satellites – an objective it has been unable so far to pull off.
It's part of a mission Musk and SpaceX refer to as flight 10. As the name suggests, the upcoming launch is the 10th since April 2023 for Starship, which SpaceX is developing to carry astronauts to the moon and Mars.
Here's everything to know about what SpaceX is planning for its next Starship flight test.
What is the launch date for Starship?
SpaceX plans to conduct the 10th flight test of its Starship spacecraft Sunday, Aug. 24, with a target liftoff time of 6:30 p.m. CT.
SpaceX conducts Starship test flights from the company's Starbase headquarters in South Texas, located about 23 miles from Brownsville and about 180 miles south of Corpus Christi. Texas voters in Cameron County approved a measure in May for Starbase to become a city, complete with a mayor and a city council.
SpaceX plans upper stage return, Starlink test on flight 10
SpaceX has a number of objectives on tap for the next Starship test, including the first attempt at returning the upper stage back to the launch site.
If that sounds familiar, it might be because in three different test missions since October 2024, SpaceX successfully flew and caught the rocket booster, known as Super Heavy, at a tower using a pair of mechanical arms nicknamed "chopsticks." But for the second time in a row, SpaceX has no plans to recover the booster, as it instead seeks to once again push its performance beyond what has so far been attempted.
Multiple landing burn tests are planned for Super Heavy, which is intended to perform a controlled flip after the upper stage separates in midair before it begins its descent. SpaceX pulled off the maneuver for the first time during the May flight test, which requires less propellant to be held in reserve and enables the rocket to carry a heavier payload.
Super Heavy will attempt several in-flight experiments to gather performance data before it's intended to make a water landing off the Gulf of Mexico, which the U.S. government has renamed the Gulf of America.
As for the upper stage – simply known as Starship, or Ship – it is intended to once again attempt to deploy Starlink satellite simulators – a key capability for the vehicle in the future that was called off during three previous launches. The eight Starlink simulators, similar in size and weight to next-generation Starlink satellites, will be on the same suborbital trajectory as Starship and are expected to burn up on re-entry.
Additionally, the company plans to once again reignite its Raptor engines in space to attempt an orbital burn – a crucial maneuver to bring a vehicle back to the ground.
What is Starship? SpaceX rocket to fly to moon, Mars
SpaceX is developing Starship to be a fully reusable transportation system, meaning both the rocket and vehicle can return to the ground for additional missions.
In the years ahead, Starship is set to serve a pivotal role in future U.S. spaceflight. Starship is the centerpiece of Musk's vision of sending the first humans to Mars, and is also critical in NASA's plans to return astronauts to the moon's surface.
But the next-generation spacecraft has yet to reach orbit on any of its nine uncrewed flight tests, which began in 2023.
SpaceX received key regulatory approval earlier in 2025 to conduct up to 25 Starship tests a year, after which Musk took to social media to proclaim that the vehicle's next three launches would occur much faster than normal – at a cadence of one "every 3 to 4 weeks."
How big is Starship?
The Starship, standing nearly 400 feet tall when fully stacked, is regarded as the world's largest and most powerful launch vehicle ever developed.
When fully integrated, the launch system is composed of both a 232-foot Super Heavy rocket and the 171-foot upper stage Starship itself, the spacecraft where crew and cargo would ride. That size makes Starship large enough to tower over SpaceX's famous 230-foot-tall Falcon 9 – one of the world's most active rockets.
Super Heavy alone is powered by 33 of SpaceX's Raptor engines that give the initial burst of thrust at liftoff. The upper stage Starship section is powered by six Raptor engines that will ultimately travel in orbit.
Why does Starship keep exploding?
Starship's upcoming flight test was previously delayed June 18, when the spacecraft unexpectedly exploded while SpaceX was preparing it for launch. No one was hurt in the incident, which occurred as the Starship spacecraft was standing alone on the test stand prior to being mounted on top of the rocket booster.
The mishap, which SpaceX later referred to on its website as "a sudden energetic event," completely destroyed the spacecraft and ignited several fires that caused damage in the area surrounding the test stand.
The explosion was the latest fiery mishap SpaceX's Starship has encountered during – and, now, prior to – its flight tests in 2025.
Starship's most recent demonstration came May 27 when the spacecraft spun out of control roughly halfway through its flight and disintegrated in a fireball. Though Starship was unable to achieve its most important objectives, the distance the vehicle traveled far surpassed the previous 2025 flights in January and March, when Starship exploded within minutes.
But when it comes to Starship's development, SpaceX has become known for its risk-tolerant philosophy. Musk has stressed that rapid and frequent testing that sometimes leads to explosive ends can still provide data that helps engineers improve the vehicle's design.
Eric Lagatta is the Space Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at [e-mail]