A new test flight of the Starship, SpaceX’s super-rocket, is expected this summer, according to Elon Musk.
Time is running out for SpaceX. It’s been two months since his first real Starship test flight took place, which ended prematurely in a high-altitude explosion just three minutes after takeoff. Since then, no more tests have taken place. However, the American company is supposed to provide a fully operational rocket for the month of December 2025.
It is indeed on this date that NASA will absolutely need SpaceX for a key segment of the Artemis program, which aims to return personnel to the Moon. If the American space agency will transport the crews from Earth to the Moon, with its Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, it will rely on its private partner for the descent to the surface.
The company founded by Elon Musk is supposed to provide the link between a future station placed in orbit around the Moon and the ground. It is therefore necessary to demonstrate the reliability of the “taxi” in this task, and that, on another world! It is not enough to prove that one knows how to fly the Starship on Earth. You have to show that you can shuttle on the moon, for Artemis III.
The whole question is whether SpaceX will get there in two and a half years. However, the April flight brought to light a series of problems – on the reliability of the engines, the effective separation of the stages during the flight, the specific performance of the launcher, the securing of the launch pad or even the control of the rocket , with an incident on the self-destruct command.
Starship is due to fly again this summer
A lot of work to do, therefore, but we should soon have a good idea of the progress made by SpaceX for several weeks. Asked about the continuation of the calendar for the Starship, Elon Musk has indicated mid-June to an Internet user that another test will take place during the summer, at a relatively close horizon. A test that should resume the objectives of the first flight.
The date of the flight is not yet fixed, but the American contractor speaks of an attempt in six to eight weeks – roughly between the end of July and the beginning of August. This, provided that all possible pitfalls have been overcome. The destruction of the launch pad during the ignition of the rocket, with debris thrown sometimes very far, marked the spirits.
Historically, SpaceX has opted for dark development on many tests, which the company iterates on to fix any flaws found along the way. A strategy that has paid off so far, with a Falcon 9 rocket that is ahead of the competition in several key aspects — it is reusable and returns to Earth automatically.
The many concerns noted during the first flight, however, question SpaceX’s ability to correct everything in a fairly short window – if the flight takes place in six weeks, the company will have benefited from three and a half months to put everything back on track. Within NASA, we wonder if the Artemis III mission will not ultimately end up being postponed.
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