SpaceX is preparing for its next Starship test flight as early as the end of August, with plans to achieve a major milestone by attempting to catch the rocket’s upper stage on land for the first time.
CEO Elon Musk said the upcoming mission will deploy the first upgraded V3 Starlink satellites, designed to deliver up to ten times more broadband capacity than previous versions. If approved by regulators, the Super Heavy booster will land in the Gulf of Mexico, while the Starship upper stage will attempt a controlled return to the launch tower in Texas, where it will be caught by mechanical arms instead of splashing down in the ocean.
The mission follows a successful 13th test flight that demonstrated improved landing performance. SpaceX aims to eventually recover both stages of Starship for rapid reuse, a key step toward reducing launch costs and supporting future Moon and Mars missions.
Musk also said the company hopes to increase Starship’s launch frequency to at least one flight per day within the next year as development accelerates.
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