SpaceX
SpaceX’s Starship prototype set for first serious test after Raptor engine installed
In concert with South Texas’ Cameron County, SpaceX has officially scheduled the first serious test – requiring temporary road closures – of its Starship prototype, unofficially nicknamed ‘Starhopper’ in light of its ultimate goal of performing low-altitude, low-velocity hop tests.
SpaceX technicians have already successfully completed a number of unspecified tanking tests – likely with chemically neutral liquid nitrogen – and completed acceptance and installation of Raptor serial number 02 (SN02), setting the stage for the giant testbed’s first flight-critical tests. Now set to occur between
Scarcely seven days after the engine’s arrival in Boca Chica, SpaceX technicians completed the first-ever installation of a flight-ready Raptor – SN02 – on a full-scale BFR prototype known as Starhopper. Aside from marking a major symbolic milestone for the company’s next-generation rocket development program, the installation of a functional rocket engine on the first partial-fidelity vehicle prototype means that SpaceX can now enter into a new and critical stage of development: integrated flight testing.
Assuming (hopefully) that SpaceX has yet to conduct actual fueling tests of the Starship prototype without establishing roadblocks and safety perimeters, something that would be an egregious threat to nearby locals, it’s likely that this first major test – much like SpaceX’s established Falcon 9 and Heavy test regime – will involve a process known as a Wet Dress Rehearsal (WDR). A WDR would see Starhopper loaded with liquid methane and oxygen propellant – potentially anywhere from the bare minimum needed to operate a single Raptor to completely filling its tanks – to verify that the prototype’s complex plumbing system and giant tanks are operating nicely together under flight conditions (i.e. cryogenic temperatures, thermal and mechanical stresses, chemical environments, etc.). Much like routine Falcon 9 static fire tests performed both at SpaceX’s McGregor, TX test site and the launch pad, data indicating that the rocket is behaving nominally during the WDR allows the operations team to transition smoothly from a WDR into a captive static fire test, in which the vehicle’s engine(s) are briefly ignited to simulate the first few seconds prior to liftoff.
It’s relatively rare but not unusual for planned Falcon 9 or Heavy static fire tests to end during the WDR phase in cases where the launch team observes data that appears to be less than nominal. SpaceX generally takes a “better safe than sorry” approach to these sorts of operations, swallowing the costs and risk of raising customers’ ire due to delays in order to ensure the highest probability of complete launch success.
For a vehicle as utterly new and alien as Starhopper is to both SpaceX and the aerospace industry as a whole, it’s safe to say that that tendency towards caution will be readily on display throughout these first several tests, at least until the company’s operations technicians and engineers are considerably more familiar with the prototype rocket’s behavior. On the other hand, given just how shoestring the budget of this beast likely is and how rapidly SpaceX managed to go from an empty dirt lot to a hop-test-ready, 30ft/9m-diameter Starship prototype, it’s equally likely that the company – particularly CEO Elon Musk – will accept the increased risk of catastrophic vehicle failures to keep the development program as agile as possible.
As Musk himself frequently and famously is known to say, it’s far better to push hardware to failure during early testing than it is to hold back and risk largely unplanned failures during nominal operations, a lesson that SpaceX itself has learned the hard way several times. One step further, while they are at best undeniably inconvenient and expensive, major vehicle failures during testing can actually be an invaluable source of data that ultimately improves the system as a whole. For BFR, a launch vehicle meant to safely, routinely, and reliably transport as many as 100+ people both around the Earth and solar system, all possible opportunities to learn and improve the system prior to risking the lives of passengers will be an absolute necessity if SpaceX wants to ensure that customers remain willing to trust the company and its spacecraft with their lives.
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Elon Musk
Elon Musk outlines plan for first Starship tower catch attempt
Musk confirmed that Starship V3 Ship 1 (SN1) is headed for ground tests and expressed strong confidence in the updated vehicle design.
Elon Musk has clarified when SpaceX will first attempt to catch Starship’s upper stage with its launch tower. The CEO’s update provides the clearest teaser yet for the spacecraft’s recovery roadmap.
Musk shared the details in recent posts on X. In his initial post, Musk confirmed that Starship V3 Ship 1 (SN1) is headed for ground tests and expressed strong confidence in the updated vehicle design.
“Starship V3 SN1 headed for ground tests. I am highly confident that the V3 design will achieve full reusability,” Musk wrote.
In a follow-up post, Musk addressed when SpaceX would attempt to catch the upper stage using the launch tower’s robotic arms.
“Should note that SpaceX will only try to catch the ship with the tower after two perfect soft landings in the ocean. The risk of the ship breaking up over land needs to be very low,” Musk clarified.
His remarks suggest that SpaceX is deliberately reducing risk before attempting a tower catch of Starship’s upper stage. Such a milestone would mark a major step towards the full reuse of the Starship system.
SpaceX is currently targeting the first Starship V3 flight of 2026 this coming March. The spacecraft’s V3 iteration is widely viewed as a key milestone in SpaceX’s long-term strategy to make Starship fully reusable.Â
Starship V3 features a number of key upgrades over its previous iterations. The vehicle is equipped with SpaceX’s Raptor V3 engines, which are designed to deliver significantly higher thrust than earlier versions while reducing cost and weight.
The V3 design is also expected to be optimized for manufacturability, a critical step if SpaceX intends to scale the spacecraft’s production toward frequent launches for Starlink, lunar missions, and eventually Mars.
Elon Musk
Starlink powers Europe’s first satellite-to-phone service with O2 partnership
The service initially supports text messaging along with apps such as WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Google Maps and weather tools.
Starlink is now powering Europe’s first commercial satellite-to-smartphone service, as Virgin Media O2 launches a space-based mobile data offering across the UK.
The new O2 Satellite service uses Starlink’s low-Earth orbit network to connect regular smartphones in areas without terrestrial coverage, expanding O2’s reach from 89% to 95% of Britain’s landmass.
Under the rollout, compatible Samsung devices automatically connect to Starlink satellites when users move beyond traditional mobile coverage, according to Reuters.
The service initially supports text messaging along with apps such as WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Google Maps and weather tools. O2 is pricing the add-on at ÂŁ3 per month.
By leveraging Starlink’s satellite infrastructure, O2 can deliver connectivity in remote and rural regions without building additional ground towers. The move represents another step in Starlink’s push beyond fixed broadband and into direct-to-device mobile services.
Virgin Media O2 chief executive Lutz Schuler shared his thoughts about the Starlink partnership. “By launching O2 Satellite, we’ve become the first operator in Europe to launch a space-based mobile data service that, overnight, has brought new mobile coverage to an area around two-thirds the size of Wales for the first time,” he said.
Satellite-based mobile connectivity is gaining traction globally. In the U.S., T-Mobile has launched a similar satellite-to-cell offering. Meanwhile, Vodafone has conducted satellite video call tests through its partnership with AST SpaceMobile last year.
For Starlink, the O2 agreement highlights how its network is increasingly being integrated into national telecom systems, enabling standard smartphones to connect directly to satellites without specialized hardware.
Elon Musk
Elon Musk’s Starbase, TX included in $84.6 million coastal funding round
The funds mark another step in the state’s ongoing beach restoration and resilience efforts along the Gulf Coast.
Elon Musk’s Starbase, Texas has been included in an $84.6 million coastal funding round announced by the Texas General Land Office (GLO). The funds mark another step in the state’s ongoing beach restoration and resilience efforts along the Gulf Coast.
Texas Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham confirmed that 14 coastal counties will receive funding through the Coastal Management Program (CMP) Grant Cycle 31 and Coastal Erosion Planning and Response Act (CEPRA) program Cycle 14. Among the Brownsville-area recipients listed was the City of Starbase, which is home to SpaceX’s Starship factory.
“As someone who spent more than a decade living on the Texas coast, ensuring our communities, wildlife, and their habitats are safe and thriving is of utmost importance. I am honored to bring this much-needed funding to our coastal communities for these beneficial projects,” Commissioner Buckingham said in a press release.Â
“By dedicating this crucial assistance to these impactful projects, the GLO is ensuring our Texas coast will continue to thrive and remain resilient for generations to come.”
The official Starbase account acknowledged the support in a post on X, writing: “Coastal resilience takes teamwork. We appreciate @TXGLO and Commissioner Dawn Buckingham for their continued support of beach restoration projects in Starbase.”
The funding will support a range of coastal initiatives, including beach nourishment, dune restoration, shoreline stabilization, habitat restoration, and water quality improvements.
CMP projects are backed by funding from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act, alongside local partner matches. CEPRA projects focus specifically on reducing coastal erosion and are funded through allocations from the Texas Legislature, the Texas Hotel Occupancy Tax, and GOMESA.
Checks were presented in Corpus Christi and Brownsville to counties, municipalities, universities, and conservation groups. In addition to Starbase, Brownsville-area recipients included Cameron County, the City of South Padre Island, Willacy County, and the Willacy County Navigation District.
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