SpaceX Prepares for Seventh Starship Flight Test with Major Upgrades

SpaceX is gearing up for the seventh flight test of its Starship rocket, incorporating significant upgrades and testing new capabilities, the company announced on Friday.

The upcoming test will feature a new-generation Starship equipped with enhanced systems aimed at improving reliability and performance. Key objectives include conducting the first payload deployment test, flying multiple reentry experiments to support ship reuse, and launching and recovering the Super Heavy booster.

Among the notable upgrades to the Starship upper stage are a 25% increase in propellant volume, vacuum-jacketed feedlines, an advanced fuel feedline system for the Raptor vacuum engines, and an improved propulsion avionics module to better control valves and sensors.

During the mission, Starship will deploy 10 Starlink simulator satellites while in orbit, marking another milestone in SpaceX’s push for operational reusability and functionality in space exploration.

Starship, consisting of the spacecraft and Super Heavy rocket, is designed as a fully reusable transport system capable of carrying crew and cargo to destinations including Earth orbit, the moon, and Mars.

The mission underscores Starship’s pivotal role in NASA’s Artemis III program, where it is slated to transport astronauts to the lunar surface in 2026. This ambitious mission aligns with SpaceX’s broader vision of revolutionizing space travel and enabling humanity to become a multiplanetary species.