Why today's Starship launch matters for Musk's 2026 Mars mission
What's the story
SpaceX is gearing up to launch its Starship mega rocket today. This will be the first major test of the Mars-bound vehicle as it follows two previous failures earlier this year.
The upcoming launch marks the ninth major flight of the world's largest rocket, as SpaceX races against time to meet Elon Musk's ambitious goal of reaching Mars by the end of 2026.
Mission timeline
Musk's ambitious timeline for Mars exploration
Musk has been vocal about his plans for Mars exploration.
In a March post on X, he said, "Starship departs for Mars at the end of next year, carrying [Tesla's humanoid robot] Optimus."
He added that if these landings go well, "then human landings may start as soon as 2029, although 2031 is more likely."
Test failure
Previous Starship test ended in failure
The last Starship test in March ended with the 123-meter-tall rocket exploding just 10 minutes into the mission.
This incident caused flight disruption over Florida and Caribbean islands.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) attributed the interrupted flights to "falling space debris," prompting a lengthy safety review of the incident.
Regulatory approval
FAA approves SpaceX's launch of improved Starship
The FAA completed its investigation last week and approved SpaceX to launch an upgraded version of Starship.
"With the Starship vehicle return to flight determination, Starship Flight 9 is authorized for launch," an FAA spokesperson told The Independent.
"The FAA finds SpaceX meets all of the rigorous safety, environmental and other licensing requirements."
Launch strategy
SpaceX's plans for future Starship launches
The FAA's ruling allows SpaceX to conduct up to 25 Starship launches per year from its Starbase facility in Texas.
Ahead of the latest launch attempt, SpaceX acknowledged the unpredictability of developmental testing but emphasized its commitment to frequent hardware flights.
This approach will allow them to quickly learn and implement design changes as they work toward making Starship a fully reusable vehicle.
Launch details
How to watch Starship's launch today
The Starship launch is scheduled for today at 6:30pm local time (7:00am IST on May 28). A live stream of the event will be available on SpaceX's website.
The FAA has expanded the Aircraft Hazard Area along Starship's flight path, doubling the previous safety buffer to 1,600 nautical miles east of SpaceX's launch site near Boca Chica, Texas.
Mission objectives
Key mission highlights for Starship Flight 9
Starship's upcoming flight marks the first use of a previously flown Super Heavy booster, aiming to gather real-world data through a series of experimental flight maneuvers.
The upper stage will target new milestones, including its first payload deployment—eight Starlink simulators—and a Raptor engine relight in space.
To protect launch infrastructure, the booster will not return to the launch site for catch. Instead, it will follow an offshore trajectory, ending in a hard splashdown after a unique two-engine landing burn test.