After completing its investigation into recent Starship failures, SpaceX has made some changes in the attempt to avoid similar incidents.
SpaceX is gearing up for the tenth test flight of its megarocket following a streak of failures that have cast doubt on Starship’s ability to fly to Mars in 2026.
Starship is slated for lift-off on Sunday, August 24, during a launch window that opens at 7:30 p.m. ET. SpaceX recently wrapped up investigations into the rocket’s previous test flight, which took place on May 27 and ended with the vehicle breaking apart during reentry. This was the third Starship flight of 2025 and the latest in a series of failures. For flight 10, SpaceX has integrated hardware and operational changes to its rocket in an effort to increase its reliability, according to the company.
Starship’s test flight will be broadcast live on SpaceX’s website, as well as the company’s X account. You can also tune in through the live feed below.
Sunday’s test flight will attempt similar mission objectives that went unfulfilled during previous flights due to various anomalies. For the fourth time in a row, SpaceX will attempt a payload deployment test. For this test, the rocket will deploy 10 Starlink simulators, each similar in size and weight to the company’s next-generation satellites. Rather than remaining in orbit, these Starlinks are designed to follow a suborbital trajectory and are expected to burn up during reentry.
