Wed Mar 05 17:59:23 UTC 2025: ## SpaceX Sets New Starship Launch Date After Last-Minute Delay
**BOCA CHICA, TEXAS –** SpaceX will attempt another launch of its Starship super-heavy rocket on Thursday, following a last-minute postponement on Monday. The world’s most powerful rocket, standing 403 feet tall, will lift off from Starbase in Boca Chica, Texas, at 5:30 pm local time (2330 GMT).
This will be Starship’s eighth orbital test flight, and the first since a dramatic mid-air explosion during its previous attempt in January. The FAA grounded Starship after the incident, which involved the upper stage disintegrating over the Turks and Caicos Islands. However, the agency cleared the rocket for its next flight last Friday, before completing its investigation.
SpaceX claims to have implemented significant upgrades to the upper stage, aimed at improving reliability and performance. This launch will include another attempt to catch the booster stage using the launch tower’s arms, a maneuver successfully performed twice before. The mission will also deploy Starlink simulators, which will burn up on re-entry. The upper stage is expected to splash down in the Indian Ocean.
The upcoming launch comes amidst ongoing scrutiny of SpaceX and its regulatory relationship with the FAA. Elon Musk has previously accused the agency of excessive oversight, and the recent large-scale firing of FAA staff has added fuel to the fire. Musk, meanwhile, remains optimistic, predicting full reusability for Starship by next year, a critical step towards his goal of establishing a multi-planetary civilization. The mission is expected to last just over an hour.
First Piper 