SpaceX could fly Starship Flight 7 in four days, according to an X post shared by Elon Musk. Musk shared a post on X earlier today, which speculated that the rocket could launch by the end of this week - a timeline that falls in line with earlier reports related to a launch date. SpaceX is yet to confirm Flight 7's official launch date, but the firm has revealed key changes to the rocket ahead of the mission that will set the tone for the rest of the Starship program. A January 10th or 11th launch date also corroborates Flight 7's timeline in an FAA NOTAM, which lists backup dates that will last until the 16th.
SpaceX Starship Flight 7 Could Launch On January 10th According To FAA Airmen Notice
Musk's post isn't the first time that a launch date surrounding January 10th has surfaced for Starship. The first such indication came through in late November when a NASA letter to the FAA suggested that Flight 7 might take to the skies on the 11th. This was followed by an air traffic advisory which listed January 10th as the primary date and followed it with dates stretching from the 11th to the 16th.
While the air traffic advisory was later taken down, an FAA notice to airmen (NOTAM) covering the region surrounding SpaceX's facilities in Boca Chica, Texas lists down the same dates. Available on the FAA's website, it also mentions dates starting from January 10th and ending on the 16th. The notice warns airmen to be wary of the "DANGEROUS AREA FOR FALLING DEBRIS OF ROCKET STARSHIP FLT-7."
SpaceX's Starship Super Heavy booster stands 232 feet tall, and when the upper-stage Starship rocket is stacked on it, it is the world's largest rocket. It generates more thrust than NASA's Saturn V rocket, which sent the first humans to the Moon, and it intends to fulfill SpaceX's plans of sending humans to Mars.
An X post shared by Musk also speculates that five days remain until Starship Flight 7. Since the original post was made yesterday, it is reasonable to speculate that Musk believes that Flight 7 could fly on the 10th. The upcoming flight's Super Heavy booster is already on the launch pad, while the upper-stage spacecraft is at SpaceX's processing facilities.
According to footage from local media, SpaceX has also moved a transport stand to the spacecraft's location, indicating that it might soon transport the rocket to the launch pad.
The upper-stage spacecraft will be the leading watch item on Flight 7 since SpaceX has introduced a host of upgrades. These include a new avionics system, heat shield tiles and propulsion system upgrades. The upper-stage spacecraft is also NASA's vehicle of choice for the Artemis program, as the space agency plans to use it to land the first humans on the Moon since the Apollo program. Later in the year, SpaceX will also test the ship's in-space refueling capabilities to verify technologies for a propellant tanker that is part of its NASA Artemis architecture.
About the author: Ramish is a seasoned technology writer and editor with more than a decade of experience. He specializes in semiconductor fabrication and market analysis. With a background in finance and supply chain management - via his bachelors in Finance and a micromasters in supply chain management from MIT - Ramish combines financial rigor with deep industry insight to deliver accurate and authoritative coverage.
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