SpaceX's Starship test flight to release fleet of mock Starlink satellites

Successful deployment would help Elon Musk's company move closer to commercial operations

Having successfully ‘caught’ the booster of its Starship megarocket on October 13, above, SpaceX will be attempting a similar feat during Friday’s test flight. AFP

Elon Musk’s SpaceX is gearing up for a crucial Starship test flight in the early hours of Friday morning, about 2am UAE time, from its Starbase in Texas.

In this seventh trial flight, the company will see whether the rocket system is capable of sending payloads into space, reuse an engine from a previous flight and test new structural upgrades on the vehicle.

For the first time, Starship will carry and release 10 simulated Starlink satellites. These payloads are designed to mimic next-generation Starlink satellites in size and weight, offering SpaceX an opportunity to test and refine its deployment mechanisms. It will also attempt to catch the booster in mid-air using robotic arms, similar to how it did in the fifth test flight.

“It’s the most powerful rocket ever built and it underpins a lot of what SpaceX is trying to achieve – making space flight routine and lowering the cost of access to space," Dr Wendy N Whitman Cobb, professor of strategy and security studies at the School of Advanced Air and Space Studies in the US state of Alabama, told The National in an earlier interview.

SpaceX has been working to develop Starship for years, aiming to create a fully reusable rocket system capable of carrying large payloads and crew to destinations such as the Moon, Mars and beyond. It consists of a Super-Heavy booster and the Starship spacecraft, which together can produce 3,991 tonnes of thrust, 15 per cent more than Nasa’s Apollo Moon rocket Saturn V.

SpaceX has a $2.89 billion contract with Nasa to develop a Starship system to land astronauts on the surface of the Moon. But Mr Musk's ultimate goal with the Starship fleet is to make life multi-planetary. The company is making rapid progress on the Starship programme, having completed six test flights in less than two years, with several milestones already achieved.

It demonstrated the safe return of the booster and Starship craft in controlled landings, the mid-air recovery of its booster using robotic arms and carried out tests to prove the rocket's reusability. To achieve regulatory approval so it can begin commercial operations, SpaceX must prove full orbital flight capability, successful payload deployment and reliable reusability of the Starship craft and Super Heavy booster.

"This new year will be transformational for Starship, with the goal of bringing reuse of the entire system online and flying increasingly ambitious missions, as we reiterate towards being able to send humans and cargo to Earth orbit, the Moon and Mars," SpaceX said in a statement issued for the seventh test flight.

The Federal Aviation Administration, the US authority responsible for issuing licences to launch providers, has been working to streamline approvals, after facing pressure to accelerate the process. Processes may become even easier for SpaceX with the new Trump administration, which has historically advocated reducing regulatory barriers and expediting approval processes, especially for industries it considers critical to the US, such as aerospace and defence.

Sahith Madara, an aerospace engineer and founder of Paris advisory firm Bumi and Space, told The National in an earlier interview that the new administration could also adopt a “streamlined review” process, typically applied in infrastructure projects, which would allow SpaceX to conduct tests and launches “without waiting months for each individual permit”.

“Under a Trump-led FAA [Federal Aviation Administration], we might expect an accelerated path for SpaceX’s Starship development, primarily by cutting down on regulatory delays,” he said. “For instance, the administration could prioritise rapid permitting for launches and streamline environmental reviews, which have historically slowed SpaceX operations at Boca Chica [launch/testing site in Texas]. The FAA could waive certain regulatory requirements or set aggressive deadlines for assessments, potentially shortening the approval timeline for each launch.”

SpaceX has scheduled the test flight for 2am Gulf Standard Time, with a 60-minute launch window. The event will be broadcast live on the SpaceX website and the X platform.