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 rocket could launch its eighth test flight as early as next week, though SpaceX has not officially announced it.
The previous Starship flight in January exploded mid-air, leading to an FAA grounding and an ongoing investigation, with debris reported outside SpaceX's designated hazard area.
If Flight 8 proceeds, it would mark Starship's quickest return to flight after a grounding, with a likely objective being the mid-air catch of the Super Heavy booster.

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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.