Elon Musk’s SpaceX is preparing for the next test launch of its massive Starship rocket this Sunday, following a series of failures that have led some to question the project’s long-term viability.
So far in 2025, all three Starship test flights have ended with the upper stage exploding — twice in dramatic fireballs over the Caribbean and once after reaching space. Additionally, in June, another upper stage exploded on the ground during a static fire test.
SpaceX’s “fail fast, learn fast” philosophy has been credited with the company’s dominance in space launches, largely due to the reliability of its Falcon rocket lineup.
However, the repeated Starship failures have sparked concern over whether SpaceX can replicate that success with what is the largest and most powerful rocket ever built.
Here’s what experts say:
The UK government stated on Thursday that it is “working closely with US Government partners to protect the safety” of its overseas territories, including the Turks and Caicos Islands.
Commenting on the uncertain outcome of SpaceX’s Starship program, Garrett Reisman, a former NASA astronaut, SpaceX advisor, and professor of astronautical engineering at the University of Southern California, told CNN: “It’s very, very difficult to predict how this is going to end up. I think it could end up never working, or it could end up revolutionising our entire future of activities in space and geopolitics.”
He noted that Starship plays a key role in the US effort to demonstrate technological superiority in the emerging space race with China, as reported by CNN.
SpaceX fixed technical slag
SpaceX has made modifications to the Starship system scheduled to fly this weekend, following the in-flight failure that occurred in May. Among the changes is a redesigned fuel diffuser, a component the company believes malfunctioned during the previous mission, leading to excessive pressure buildup in the rocket’s nose cone. According to a technical summary SpaceX released last week, this issue likely caused the vehicle to lose stability and spiral out of control.
If all goes as planned during the upcoming Starship test, known as Flight 10, the 400-foot-tall launch system will lift off from SpaceX’s South Texas facility and head out over coastal waters.
The lower stage of the rocket, called Super Heavy, which provides the initial thrust at liftoff, is expected to attempt a controlled splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico, off the Texas coast, according to SpaceX.
(With inputs from agencies)