Elon Musk shared a rare video on X (formerly Twitter), showing a Starship upper stage making a vertical water landing.
“We need to perfect ship reentry at extreme temperatures before attempting to catch the ship with the tower arms, like the booster,” he wrote.
SpaceX’s Starship Super Heavy is preparing for a major test flight on March 4, following a critical approval from the US. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The mission aims to refine reentry techniques and test the booster’s return-to-launch-site manoeuvre. This is a key step in SpaceX’s long-term plans for lunar and Martian exploration.
This test comes after an accident on January 16, when SpaceX lost its previous Starship prototype during flight. Despite the investigation into that incident, the FAA has approved Flight 8 after reviewing safety measures. SpaceX has now made hardware improvements to enhance vehicle performance and reliability.
One of the biggest challenges in this test is the Super Heavy booster’s controlled landing attempt. The goal is to catch the booster using the launch tower’s “chopstick” arms—a major step toward making the rocket fully reusable. Meanwhile, the Starship upper stage will attempt a controlled splashdown in the Indian Ocean, off the coast of Australia.
To improve durability, SpaceX has modified the vehicle’s forward flaps to reduce heat exposure during reentry. These upgrades are crucial for ensuring the spacecraft can handle future missions, including NASA’s Artemis programme and Musk’s goal of reaching Mars.