SpaceX shows off huge size of Super Heavy rocket's new grid fins
The Elon Musk-led spaceflight company on Wednesday showed off the design of a new grid fin for the Super Heavy rocket. And with a surface area about 50% larger than the previous design, it's massive.
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To emphasize the fact, SpaceX shared a photo showing an engineer standing on one of the new grid fins. Take a look below:
The first grid fin for the next generation Super Heavy booster. The redesigned grid fins are 50% larger and higher strength, moving from four fins to three for vehicle control while enabling the booster to descend at higher angles of attack. pic.twitter.com/Nc6bavBHD8 — SpaceX (@SpaceX) August 13, 2025
The Starship's 10th test flight is expected to take place this month, and it's likely that the redesigned grid fins will debut in that mission.
SpaceX said that besides being larger, the new grid fins, which act as aerodynamic control surfaces through small adjustments during flight, are also stronger.
The new design means that the 233-feet-tall (71 meters) booster will now be fitted with three grid fins instead of four, which will enable the booster to descend at higher angles of attack as it comes in to land back at the launch tower shortly after deploying the Starship spacecraft to orbit.
The fins will also be used for the spectacular 'catch' maneuver where the tower secures the booster just above the ground on its return. Note, also, that the fins have been moved further down the booster, from close to the top. SpaceX said the new position will reduce the heat they receive from Starship spacecraft's engines when they fire up during stage separation, lowering the risk of any damage occurring.
SpaceX is planning to launch the Starship from its Starbase site in Boca Chica, Texas, before the end of this month. NASA will be watching the proceedings carefully, as it wants to use the Starship — alongside its own SLS rocket — for crew and cargo missions to the moon as part of the Artemis program. NASA has already inked a deal with SpaceX to use a modified version of the Starship spacecraft to land two astronauts on the lunar surface in the Artemis III mission, currently set for 2027. But whether that target date holds remains to be seen.
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