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SpaceX set for expendable Falcon 9 Block 5 launch attempt after 48 hour scrub

Falcon 9 B1054 awaits its first and last launch at Pad 40. (SpaceX)

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Following a reported bug with Falcon 9 booster sensors that triggered a launch abort on the morning of December 18th, SpaceX has mitigated those problems and is ready to try again, hopefully placing the first of 10 new USAF GPS III satellites into orbit shortly after a 9:03 am EST (14:03 UTC) liftoff on December 20th.

Aside from being the first time SpaceX has launched a dedicated USAF mission won through a competitive procurement process, the launch of GPS III Space Vehicle 1 (SV01) will also be the first time SpaceX has intentionally expended a new Falcon 9 booster since July 2017, as well as the first time ever that a Falcon 9 Block 5 booster will be expended without attempting to land.

Standing vertical at SpaceX’s Launch Complex 40 (LC-40) pad, Block 5 booster B1054 looks undeniably incomplete or just off without grid fins and landing legs installed, like toast without butter or a Tesla with a V8 in place of its electric motors. The fact that Falcon 9 B1054 is a brand-new booster simply throws salt on the wound. However, the expendable configuration does serve as a reminder that, when it really comes down to it, SpaceX’s launch customers with as much sway as the Air Force ultimately have a major (if not final) say in the rocket’s trajectory.

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If a customer demands an almost ridiculous level of redundancy, SpaceX likely has little to no say in that decision, even if it means that a brand new Falcon 9 Block 5 booster – designed to launch anywhere from 10-100 times in its lifetime – will have to be disposed of in the ocean after just one. While the performance-based decision to expend Falcon 9 appears to be far more of a security blanket than a practical necessity, it does still serve as a reminder that some exceptionally heavy payloads and/or high-energy orbits will inevitably preclude Falcon 9 or even Falcon Heavy from attempting booster landings. Down the road, major NASA or national security payloads will likely continue to demand expendable configurations, at least until BFR (Starship/Super Heavy) can take over from Falcon 9 and Heavy.

Although SpaceX does appear to be serious Thursday’s launch attempt, the weather conditions are far from desirable thanks to the forecasted presence of “Electric Field, Cumulus/Thick Cloud, Disturbed Weather”, as well as the likelihood of strong upper-level winds near the Florida coast. With just a 20% chance that weather conditions will permit a launch and a brief 26-minute window of opportunity, there is little to no wiggle room for SpaceX to wait for a figurative break in the clouds, and another scrub seems extremely likely.

If the weather does force SpaceX to call off Thursday’s attempt, additional opportunities appear to be available on Friday (60% favorable) and Saturday (80% favorable). For now, however, Falcon 9 B1054 appears to have bought itself a few extra days to continue being an intact and (mostly) dry rocket. Catch the watch live at the link below.

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Eric Ralph is Teslarati's senior spaceflight reporter and has been covering the industry in some capacity for almost half a decade, largely spurred in 2016 by a trip to Mexico to watch Elon Musk reveal SpaceX's plans for Mars in person. Aside from spreading interest and excitement about spaceflight far and wide, his primary goal is to cover humanity's ongoing efforts to expand beyond Earth to the Moon, Mars, and elsewhere.

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Elon Musk: Self-sustaining city on Mars is plausible in 25-30 years

Musk noted that true self-sufficiency requires Mars to develop “all the ingredients of civilization.”

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Credit: Elon Musk/X

Elon Musk has stated that a self-sustaining human settlement on Mars could be established in 25-30 years, provided launch capacity increases dramatically in the coming decades. 

Speaking at the All-In Summit, the SpaceX CEO said building a self-sufficient colony depends on exponential growth in “tonnage to Mars” with each launch window, highlighting Starship’s role as the company’s pathway to interplanetary initiatives.

Mars settlement goals

Musk noted that true self-sufficiency requires Mars to develop “all the ingredients of civilization,” from food production to microchip manufacturing. Starship Version 3 is expected to support the first uncrewed Mars test flights, while future iterations could reach 466 feet in height and deliver larger payloads critical for settlement. Ultimately, Musk stated that an aggressive timeline for a city on Mars could be as short as 30 years, as noted in a Space.com report.

“I think it can be done in 30 years, provided there’s an exponential increase in the tonnage to Mars with each successive Mars transfer window, which is every two years. Every two years, the planets align and you can transfer to Mars. 

“I think in roughly 15, but maybe as few as 10, but 10-15-ish Mars transfer windows. If you’re seeing exponential increases in the tonnage to Mars with each Mars transfer window, then it should be possible to make Mars self-sustaining in about call it roughly 25 years,” Musk said. 

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Starship’s role

Starship has flown in a fully stacked configuration ten times, most recently in August when it completed its first payload deployment in orbit. The next flight will close out the Version 2 program before transitioning to Starship Version 3, featuring Raptor 3 engines and a redesigned structure capable of lifting over 100 tons to orbit.

While SpaceX has demonstrated Super Heavy booster reuse, Ship reusability remains in development. Musk noted that the heat shield is still the biggest technical hurdle, as no orbital vehicle has yet achieved rapid, full reuse.

“For full reusability of the Ship, there’s still a lot of work that remains on the heat shield. No one’s ever made a fully reusable orbital heat shield. The shuttle heat shield had to go through nine months of repair after every flight,” he said. 

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SpaceX is partnering with chipmakers to enable Starlink satellite-to-cell service

President Gwynne Shotwell outlined the effort during a space industry conference in Paris.

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Credit: SpaceX/X

SpaceX is working with microchip manufacturers to integrate satellite-connectivity hardware into smartphones, advancing its plan for direct-to-device services through Starlink. 

The move follows the company’s $17 billion acquisition of wireless spectrum from EchoStar Corp., a deal that positions SpaceX to operate more independently of traditional telecom carriers. 

President Gwynne Shotwell outlined the effort during a space industry conference in Paris this week, as noted in a Bloomberg News report.

Starlink direct-to-device

Starlink currently serves millions of customers in over 100 countries, primarily through ground-based dishes. The company, however, is now expanding into satellite-to-cell service, which should enable unmodified phones to connect directly with orbiting satellites. While SpaceX has a partnership with T-Mobile US, the EchoStar spectrum purchase gives it more control to negotiate with global carriers on its own terms.

“We’re working with chip manufacturers to get the proper chips in phones,” the SpaceX President stated. “We will now be initiating discussions with telcos in a different way now. Now it’s our spectrum, but we want to work with them, almost providing capacity and wholesaling capacity to their customers.”

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The company plans to launch satellites capable of supporting its direct-to-device business within two years, with early mobile phone testing expected by late 2026.

Starship program continues test flights

Shotwell also addressed SpaceX’s Starship program, which recently completed its 10th test flight in August. She said the mission met all objectives, providing a critical morale boost to teams after a challenging development year. 

“My Starship team needed that win,” Shotwell noted. “Development programs always are kind of a 24/7 operation, and I was really pleased for them.”

SpaceX is planning to fly one more iteration of the current Starship prototype, known as V2, before transitioning to the next-generation V3 vehicle. That version, expected to debut late this year or early 2026, is designed to be more capable and support eventual crewed missions to the Moon and Mars. 

“The V3, which we want to fly hopefully late this year, but maybe early next year, is really the vehicle that could take humans to the moon and Mars,” Shotwell stated.

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U.S. Judge dismisses lawsuit against SpaceX Starship Boca Chica launch site

The ruling found that the FAA had met its obligations in reviewing the potential environmental effects of Starship launches.

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(Credit: SpaceX)

A U.S. district court judge has dismissed a lawsuit brought by conservation groups challenging the Federal Aviation Administration’s approval of SpaceX’s expanded rocket launch operations in Boca Chica, Texas. 

The ruling, issued Monday, found that the FAA had met its obligations in reviewing the potential environmental effects of Starship launches.

FAA review withstands legal challenge

The lawsuit centered on whether the FAA properly assessed the impact of SpaceX’s operations on endangered wildlife, including ocelots, jaguarundis, and Kemp’s Ridley sea turtles, as noted in a report from The Guardian. The plaintiffs argued that noise, light pollution, and construction activity degraded the surrounding habitat, which also serves as nesting grounds for threatened shorebirds.

The lawsuit cited SpaceX’s April 2023 Starship test, which destroyed its launchpad and scattered debris across a large area. The blast reportedly ignited a grassfire and damaged wildlife habitats, including a bobwhite quail nest.

Judge Carl Nichols, for his part, ruled that the FAA had satisfied its obligation“to take a hard look at the effects of light on nearby wildlife.” The decision effectively cleared a regulatory hurdle for SpaceX, which has been working to expand Starship launch activity at its Boca Chica facility.

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A continued ramp

SpaceX continues to scale its operations nationwide. Beyond Starship, the company is also seeking approval to nearly double Falcon rocket launches from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, from 50 annually to 95. 

Former President Trump has also shared his intention to increase U.S. launch capacity, setting a target for substantial growth by 2030. Considering that SpaceX is by far the world’s dominant launch provider, Trump’s support for more launches will likely benefit the private space company.

For now, at least, the ruling should allow continued expansion at a time when Starship remains central to long-term goals such as Mars missions and NASA’s Artemis program.

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