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SpaceX is gearing up for the seventh flight test of its Starship rocket, scheduled to launch at 4:00 p.m. CT on Thursday, January 16, from the company’s Starbase facility near Boca Chica Beach in South Texas. The launch will occur within a 60-minute window, although weather conditions—currently rainy, windy, and foggy—could potentially delay the mission. Cosmic Chronicles journalists visited the launch pad today and shared a video of the Starship under foggy skies, shown below.
🚨 BREAKING: Due to weather, SpaceX now plans to launch Starship Flight 7 on Thursday, January 16, during a 60-minute launch window that opens at 4 p.m. CT. pic.twitter.com/cmC54nztwg
— Evelyn Janeidy Arevalo (@JaneidyEve) January 15, 2025
It is raining, windy, and foggy today at SpaceX Starbase Texas. pic.twitter.com/s9HFEv4kZX
— Evelyn Janeidy Arevalo (@JaneidyEve) January 14, 2025
pov: you're driving by SpaceX Starbase HQ in the rain… pic.twitter.com/4jKpX5yomI
— Evelyn Janeidy Arevalo (@JaneidyEve) January 15, 2025
This flight will be the first test of SpaceX’s second-generation Starship, which features several significant upgrades. These include improvements to the propulsion system, avionics, and heat shielding. Notably, the Ship’s upper stage has undergone a complete redesign, with a 25% increase in propellant volume, a more powerful flight computer, and the addition of integrated Starlink and GNSS antennas. The new avionics system also includes over 30 cameras that will provide real-time data during the flight.
The mission will also serve as Starship’s first payload deployment test, as the vehicle will launch 10 Starlink simulators into space. The simulators are designed to mimic next-generation Starlink satellites, and the vehicle will attempt a relight of one of its Raptor engines while in orbit.
Additionally, this test flight will involve several reentry experiments aimed at improving Starship’s ability to return to the launch site. The vehicle will be subjected to a stressed reentry profile, with heatshield tiles removed to test various materials and assess the effectiveness of new designs. These experiments are part of SpaceX’s broader efforts to refine the spacecraft for future missions, including orbital flights and interplanetary travel.
A key aspect of the mission will be the recovery of the Super Heavy booster. SpaceX plans to catch the booster with the robotic arms on the ‘Mechazilla’ launch tower, a maneuver it successfully performed during a previous flight test. The booster will use flight-proven hardware, including a reused Raptor engine from the fifth test flight. However, the return and catch are contingent upon the health of both the booster and the tower’s systems, with a final decision made by the mission’s Flight Director. If weather conditions are not favorable, the booster will instead splash down in the Gulf of Mexico.
Residents in South Texas should be aware that the returning booster will generate audible sonic booms as it decelerates from supersonic speeds. While the booms are expected to be brief and similar to thunder, their intensity will depend on factors like weather and proximity to the landing site.
For those unable to attend in person, SpaceX will stream the Starship Flight 7 launch live starting 30 minutes before liftoff, video link below. If you live in the Rio Grande Valley region and plan to view the mission in person, you can do so safely, from South Padre Island, Texas.
Watch Starship's seventh flight test → https://t.co/QNCSPTewLA https://t.co/wWJtyFMrfI
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) January 14, 2025
Author’s Note: My objective is to keep the public informed about local SpaceX Starbase Texas operations and interesting NASA missions through the educational stories I write. Consider Subscribing for $5 on 𝕏 to Support my work at Cosmic Chronicles. Visit: X.com/JaneidyEve to Subscribe. THANK YOU!
It's so foggy today at Starbase!
— Evelyn Janeidy Arevalo (@JaneidyEve) January 14, 2025
SpaceX plans to launch Starship Flight 7 on January 15 during a 60-minute launch window that begins at 4:00 p.m. CT. pic.twitter.com/eqC0jECdUV
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