SpaceX Starship Flight 8 Could Launch Next Week, FAA Says

Largest rocket to ever fly could soon return to the skies, though the agency says a SpaceX-led investigation following the previous test flight remains open.

Jack Daleo

Thursday, February 20, 2025 at 04:24 PM ET

Verified

Edited By: tccjeremy

SpaceX’s Starship is the largest rocket to ever fly, standing 400 feet tall. [Courtesy: SpaceX]

Key Takeaways:

A regional airspace advisory indicates SpaceX’s Starship Flight 8 could launch next week, with a window opening February 28 through March 6, despite SpaceX not yet officially announcing it.
The previous Starship flight (Flight 7) exploded mid-air in January, leading to an ongoing FAA mishap investigation and concerns that debris fell outside SpaceX's designated hazard area.
If Flight 8 proceeds, it would mark Starship’s quickest return to flight after being grounded, with an objective likely being another successful mid-air catch of the Super Heavy booster, a feat achieved in Flight 7.

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According to a regional airspace advisory, SpaceX’s supercharged Starship rocket could lift off on its eighth test flight next week. Per the advisory, the Flight 8 launch window opens Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. EST, with backup opportunities through March 6.

Starship’s previous flight test in January returned a similar result to its first two missions: the rocket exploded in midair, and the FAA grounded it to open a mishap investigation. The “rapid unscheduled disassembly,” as SpaceX calls it, forced the aviation regulator to temporarily divert aircraft flying over the Caribbean.