SpaceX Plans Next Starship Launch in July after Prototype Explodes at Test Site

SpaceX expects to launch its next super-heavy Starship rocket in July 2025. Previously, the launch was scheduled for June, but was postponed after an incident with a prototype at the test site. The new terms were announced by an employee of Tesla and SpaceX Dima Zenyuk. The company also maintains its goal of sending Starship on an unmanned mission to Mars in November 2026. These plans are consistent with earlier statements made by Elon Musk.

Starship is designed for reusable use and is capable of delivering up to 150 tons of payload to orbit in a reusable version and up to 250 tons in a single-use version. The 2026 mission involves delivering the humanoid robot Optimus from Tesla to Mars for testing landing and collecting scientific data. One of the technological tasks required for long-range missions remains the development of refueling in orbit. A demonstration of this technology is planned for 2025. The company is also developing a new version of the rocket — Starship Block 3. This variant will be higher (150 meters) and will be able to output up to 200 tons of payload.

On June 18, 2025, a Starship upper stage prototype (Ship 36) exploded at SpaceX's Massey, Texas test site while preparing for a static fire test. According to preliminary data, the cause of the accident was a malfunction of the high-pressure nitrogen tank (COPV), which collapsed at a pressure below the calculated one. SpaceX confirmed that there were no injuries as a result of the incident. Fire services quickly arrived at the scene and within a few hours localized the fire.