SpaceX Targets Monday for Starship Flight 8

FAA is preparing for the eighth test flight of the Starship rocket as it contemplates handing over a Verizon contract to Starlink.

Thursday, February 27, 2025 at 04:56 PM ET

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SpaceX returns Starship’s Super Heavy booster to the launch pad during Flight 7, a feat Flight 8 will attempt to re-create. [Courtesy: SpaceX]

Key Takeaways:

SpaceX's Starship is preparing for its eighth test flight, scheduled for Monday, aiming to repeat the Super Heavy booster catch and attempting new feats like its first payload deployment and experiments for catching Starship itself.
This flight follows the mid-air explosion of Starship Flight 7, which resulted in a grounding; SpaceX has since implemented upgrades to address fuel leakage and is seeking flight clearance from the FAA.
The FAA is reportedly considering a 15-year, $2 billion contract for Starlink to upgrade its communications systems, sparking concerns about potential conflicts of interest given the FAA's regulatory oversight of SpaceX and Elon Musk's ownership.

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As SpaceX and Starlink become increasingly tangled with the FAA, which regulates those companies, the agency is gearing up for the next launch of SpaceX’s Starship.

According to the FAA’s current operations plan advisory, the launch window for the eighth test flight of Starship—the largest rocket to ever fly—opens Monday at 6:30 p.m. EST. SpaceX confirmed that in an update Thursday. The company had previously been aiming to fly Friday.

Jack Daleo

Jack is a staff writer covering advanced air mobility, including everything from drones to unmanned aircraft systems to space travel—and a whole lot more. He spent close to two years reporting on drone delivery for FreightWaves, covering the biggest news and developments in the space and connecting with industry executives and experts. Jack is also a basketball aficionado, a frequent traveler and a lover of all things logistics.