SpaceX has announced a new target date for Starship Flight 8. As per the private space company, Starship’s eighth flight test is scheduled for Thursday, March 6, with the launch window opening at 5:30 p.m. CT.
Starship Flight 8 comes after SpaceX completed an investigation into the Starship upper stage’s loss during Flight 7.
Mission Targets
The upcoming mission will follow a suborbital trajectory, deploying four Starlink simulators that will burn up on reentry, as per a release from SpaceX. This also marks Starship’s first payload drop. A single Raptor engine relight in space is planned, alongside reentry experiments that should help pave the way for the Starship upper stage’s return and catch at the launch site in later missions.
The Super Heavy booster will launch, execute a boostback burn, and attempt a catch by the tower’s chopsticks. If health checks on the booster or tower falter, or if the Flight Director withholds final approval, the booster will default to a trajectory for a soft splashdown in the Gulf of America. Sonic booms from the returning booster will be audible near the landing zone.
Starship’s eighth flight test now targeting to launch as soon as Thursday, March 6 → https://t.co/alyJTRtOIP pic.twitter.com/3OORFZbSPT
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) March 5, 2025
Improvements to Starship and Super Heavy
As noted by SpaceX, Starship’s forward flaps have been redesigned to reduce reentry heat exposure and simplify mechanisms. The Starship upper stage’s propulsion system has also gained a 25% propellant volume boost for longer flights.
SpaceX has removed a number of tiles from Starship to stress-test vulnerable spots across the vehicle. The reentry profile is designed to intentionally stress the structural limits of the upper stage’s rear flaps while at the point of maximum entry dynamic pressure as well.
The Super Heavy booster, on the other hand, features upgraded avionics, a more powerful flight computer, enhanced power and network distribution, and integrated smart batteries.
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