Elon Musk Reveals Date of Next Starship Launch

SpaceX founder Elon Musk has announced that the eighth test of the Starship rocket is scheduled for February 28 at 17:30 local time. SpaceX, which has established itself as one of the leading players in space technology, has already succeeded in several important preparations aimed at ensuring a successful launch.

In anticipation of FAA approval for the next Starship launch, the company conducted an engine burn in early February. According to a SpaceX statement to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), the launch window for the ship will open on February 24. SpaceX is expected to make an official announcement once the regulator approves the launch.

Since the seventh test flight ended early and most of the planned tests were not carried out, the eighth Starship flight is expected to be a repeat of the January tests. SpaceX will focus on collecting data on the upper stage systems during reentry.

Notably, the latest Starship test flight was not without its unexpected surprises: despite the successful landing of the booster, the rocket itself, unfortunately, was destroyed upon re-entry into the atmosphere, which became a lesson for the team of developers and engineers.