Chips & Hardware
SpaceX targets mid-March for upgraded Starship test
SpaceX is targeting a mid-March test for its upgraded Starship rocket as the company faces pressure to meet lunar mission goals and races toward an IPO.
SpaceX has slated the first test of its upgraded Starship rocket for mid-March, according to an announcement by CEO Elon Musk on the social media site X. The upcoming flight test comes at a critical juncture for the aerospace firm. SpaceX is currently racing toward an IPO—an Initial Public Offering—later this year. At the same time, the company is under pressure from the Trump administration to return U.S. astronauts to the moon before the end of his second term. Starship is a key component of NASA’s plans to achieve this lunar landing timeline, making the success of the upcoming mid-March test vital for the company’s government partnerships.
The path to this upgraded launch has faced significant developmental hurdles. SpaceX had been making progress toward a launch of the upgraded rocket in late 2025. However, in November, the booster stage—the first stage of a rocket—suffered an explosion during testing. The company stated that the incident occurred while it was performing “gas system pressure testing,” which is a specific type of pre-launch test, and has not yet provided a detailed breakdown of the failure. This setback followed an earlier incident last June, when one of the Starship vehicles erupted in a massive fireball during ground testing.
These technical challenges arrive as SpaceX seeks to defend its long-standing market position. While SpaceX has dominated the global launch market over the last decade, it is relying on the upgraded Starship to maintain this leadership against emerging competitors. Jeff Bezos’ space company, Blue Origin, is actively ramping up its flight schedule. Blue Origin completed the first launch of its New Glenn rocket in January 2025, followed by a second launch in November. The competitor is now planning a third launch of New Glenn in late February, intensifying the competition in the global launch market.
Why it matters
SpaceX is relying on Starship to maintain its dominance in the global launch market, while facing pressure from the Trump administration to return U.S. astronauts to the moon.