Starship is scheduled to launch from Starbase on Monday (Jan. 13) at 5:00 p.m. EST (2200 GMT). It will be the seventh test flight for the giant rocket, which SpaceX is developing to help humanity settle Mars and achieve a variety of other exploration feats.

SpaceX is also flying rudimentary catch fittings on Starship to test their thermal performance on reentry. The ship will fly a more demanding trajectory during descent to probe the structural limits of the redesigned flaps at the point of maximum entry dynamic pressure, according to SpaceX.

SpaceX's Starship will fly for the seventh time ever early next week, if all goes according to plan. SpaceX announced today (Jan. 8) that it's targeting Monday (Jan. 13) for Flight 7 of Starship, the 400-foot-tall (122 meters), fully reusable megarocket designed to help humanity settle the moon and Mars.

Rough seas caused Blue Origin to hold off a planned early Friday launch attempt with is debut of New Glenn now targeting early Sunday instead. SpaceX, though, still has plans to launch later

The Space Coast is in for a possible double-header. Hours after New Glenn launches on its first flight, SpaceX plans to launch a Falcon 9.

SpaceX has quickly become something of a taxi service for space travel, allowing private companies and governments alike to affordably send satellites into orbit for research and commercial purposes. The frequent launches have reportedly become something of a nightmare for those who live near the launch sites, however.

SpaceX plans to launch the rocket Friday morning with 21 new Starlink satellites in tow, 13 of which officials said will have “direct to cell” capabilities.

Billionaire Elon Musk, who is set to co-lead the new advisory Department of Government Efficiency, has admitted the agency likely won’t make the $2 trillion in federal budget cuts he originally promised.

Elon Musk Posts On X That SpaceX Will Provide Free Starlink Terminals To Affected Areas In LA Tomorrow Morning. (Supporting Relief Efforts)

NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams are humorously coping with their extended stay on the ISS, now planned for March 2025 due to technical delays.