SpaceX is also flying rudimentary catch fittings on Starship to test their thermal performance on reentry. The ship will fly a more demanding trajectory during descent to probe the structural limits of the redesigned flaps at the point of maximum entry dynamic pressure, according to SpaceX.

SpaceX rolled the upper stage of its Starship megarocket out to the pad this morning (Jan. 9) ahead of its planned Jan. 13 test flight.

SpaceX’s most ambitious Starship flight yet will see reused hardware, the deployment of 10 fake satellites and another attempt to catch the booster with “chopsticks”

SpaceX is gearing up to launch Starship for its seventh test flight, attempting to deploy Starlink mock-ups from the rocket for the first time. Starship is set for liftoff as early as Friday, January 10,

After separation from the upper stage, the lower-stage booster will attempt to return to Starbase to land at its launch tower. The company achieved the feat during the fifth flight of Starship on Oct. 13 but was unable to repeat it on the sixth flight in November. That booster diverted to a water landing in the Gulf of Mexico.

SpaceX has announced the target date for the seventh test of its Starship megarocket in what promises to be another spectacular flight.The Latest Tech News, Delivered to Your Inbox

The South Texas commercial space company has two objectives with this flight: landing its booster and demonstrating its ability to carry payloads.