SpaceX has announced plans to conduct the tenth test launch of a Starship heavy rocket in August 2025. This was announced by the company's founder Elon Musk, commenting on the transfer of the new version of the Starship V2 rocket to the launch pad of the Starbase complex located in Texas. The official launch date has not yet been revealed, but sources close to the project call August 4 the likely day of the mission.
It is expected that the launch will involve the Super Heavy Booster 16 and the Ship 37 spacecraft. The mission will be aimed at working out key technical stages — the return of the first stage and the controlled sinking of the second in the Indian Ocean. This will be the fourth launch of Starship in 2025 and an important milestone in the company's test program.
After a failed launch in June, when the Ship 36 spacecraft was lost, SpaceX finalized the launch infrastructure, including elements of the platform and security systems, in order to speed up preparations for subsequent missions. The company continues to aim for a high frequency of Starship launches as part of its ambitious goal of regularly operating a super — heavy transport system focused on long-distance missions, including manned missions to the Moon and Mars.
Initially, SpaceX planned to conduct 25 Starship launches during 2025, but the schedule adjustment became necessary against the background of a number of technical difficulties and emergency completions of the previous three missions. However, the project continues to evolve, and parallel work is currently underway on a new version — Starship V3, which is expected to launch by the end of the year.
The development of the Starship rocket, which has become the largest in the history of space exploration, is in the center of attention of the global aerospace community. Its successful implementation can dramatically change the logistics of launching payloads and create the basis for implementing interplanetary programs in the coming decades.
