Starship Test Flight by the End of This Month, Aiming to Catch the Rocket's Upper Stage in Midair With Mechanical Arms on the Launch Tower

The mission will also deploy new-generation V3 Starlink satellites into orbit for the first time, though the schedule and landing attempt depend on regulatory approval. CEO Elon Musk called the test a major milestone for the reusable rocket system. In July, the 13th test flight saw the upper stage perform a controlled splashdown in the Indian Ocean more successfully than previous attempts.

The company is still recovering that stage from the ocean for inspection; satellite imagery shows the operation ongoing, and the stage neither sank nor exploded. Under the plan, the upper stage will return to the Texas tower, where giant mechanical arms will try to catch it. SpaceX has already caught its Super Heavy booster three times using the same system, most recently in March 2025. If the arms catch the upper stage, the Super Heavy booster will land in the Gulf of Mexico as it did in the previous five tests.

The long-term goal is for both stages to be caught by the tower: Super Heavy lands first and is moved aside, then the Starship upper stage, after completing an approximately 90-minute orbit of Earth, is caught by the same arms. Musk said the first upper-stage catch attempt will occur on the 14th flight if regulatory approvals are granted, and he expects launch frequency to increase rapidly, potentially reaching at least one Starship flight per day within a year.