SpaceX
SpaceX’s next-gen Falcon 9 spied continuing tests in Texas
Awaiting the first static fire of SpaceX’s newest upgraded Falcon 9, known as Block 5, local observers and SpaceX fans alike have been on high alert ever since the first booster (B1046) went vertical at the company’s McGregor, TX facilities on Feb. 26.
Preparing for a suite of tests ahead of its inaugural launch from Florida’s Kennedy Space Center, B1046 has been quiet in Texas for much longer than most Falcon hardware. Much like the additional static fires they complete at SpaceX’s launch facilities, boosters are meant to spend less than a week or two on the static fire test stand in McGregor – several days to set up, a few days to complete the static fire, and several days to validate the data gathered and ensure that the hardware is still healthy. 1046, however, has remained vertical at the TX test stand for a bit more than three weeks, and only appears to have ignited once for very brief (~1s) firing around two weeks ago.
- SpaceX’s first Block 5 Falcon 9 seen vertical at the company’s McGregor, TX testing facilities on March 20. (Reddit /u/HollywoodSX)
- SpaceX’s individual Merlin test stands (three are pictured) continue their busy work of testing all Merlin engines. (Reddit /u/HollywoodSX)
- SpaceX technicians can be seen preparing Merlin 1Ds for static fire testing. (Reddit /u/HollywoodSX)
According to photos taken by Reddit user HollywoodSX, the booster is still vertical at the stand as of March 20, and is now sporting what looks like an odd splotch above its relocated “SpaceX” logo. At this point, it can be assumed that SpaceX is cautious with significantly new Falcon 9 hardware, carefully testing a booster with fairly new structures, heat-shielding, Merlin 1Ds, and an array of additional refinements.
Perhaps the first static fire attempt was scrubbed prematurely; perhaps it was intentionally brief to check out startup parameters for all nine Merlins; or perhaps it began as a wet dress rehearsal (propellant loading test) that proceeded into an ignition test. More probably, however, the first routine static fire attempt likely uncovered some minor bugs in the booster’s new hardware or design, signified by the fact that B1046 appears to have remained vertical for the entire interim period. Had serious problems been uncovered, the rocket would have been brought horizontal and taken inside SpaceX’s on-site facilities for in-depth analysis, disassembly, and repairs or modifications.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BgfboKIB17H/
Moreover, SpaceX shipped another Falcon 9 booster out of its Hawthorne, CA factory on Monday, March 19. Barring something far outside the norm, the above booster is almost certainly B1047, better known as the second-ever Block 5 first stage. 1047’s shipment would all but guarantee that 1046’s testing is progressing largely as planned. If there were, in fact, major issues with the rocket leading to unplanned delays, 1047 would almost certainly remain at SpaceX’s Hawthorne factory until the problems with the booster in McGregor could be properly characterized. If repairs or modifications had to occur, Hawthorne is a far more convenient and optimal environment to complete them, and delaying shipment would also avoid unnecessarily taking the risk and wasting the week or so it takes to prepare and ship the rocket cross-country.
All things considered, Block 5’s inaugural flight appears to be moving forward slowly but surely, and anyone with interest in aerospace is eagerly awaiting its first flights. As of March 18, the satellite – Bangabandhu-1 – is still in France, awaiting confirmation from SpaceX of T-15 days to launch before shipping out to Florida. Tentatively scheduled for launch NET April 5, that date would appear to need SpaceX’s confirmation today – any later and the launch is likely to be delayed equivalently.
- Falcon 9 1035 and its Dragon cargo roar away from LC-40 on their second trips to space. (Tom Cross)
- Falcon 9 roars into the dark California sky with PAZ and Starlink. (Pauline Acalin)
Up next for SpaceX is the fifth launch for Iridium Communications, NET March 29 from California. Days later, SpaceX’s next reused Cargo Dragon mission (CRS-14) is scheduled to lift off from SpaceX’s Florida LC-40 pad on April 2. Both launches will feature sooty, flight-proven Falcon 9 boosters and will be covered live by Teslarati’s photographers Pauline Acalin and Tom Cross.
Follow us for live updates, behind-the-scenes sneak peeks, and a sea of beautiful photos from our East and West coast photographers.
Teslarati – Instagram – Twitter
Tom Cross – Twitter
Pauline Acalin – Twitter
Eric Ralph – Twitter
Elon Musk
SpaceX IPO could push Elon Musk’s net worth past $1 trillion: Polymarket
The estimates were shared by the official Polymarket Money account on social media platform X.
Recent projections have outlined how a potential $1.75 trillion SpaceX IPO could generate historic returns for early investors. The projections suggest the offering would not only become the largest IPO in history but could also result in unprecedented windfalls for some of the company’s key investors.
The estimates were shared by the official Polymarket Money account on social media platform X.
As noted in a Polymarket Money analysis, Elon Musk invested $100 million into SpaceX in 2002 and currently owns approximately 42% of the company. At a $1.75 trillion valuation following SpaceX’s potential $1.75 trillion IPO, that stake would be worth roughly $735 billion.
Such a figure would dramatically expand Musk’s net worth. When combined with his holdings in Tesla Inc. and other ventures, a public debut at that level could position him as the world’s first trillionaire, depending on market conditions at the time of listing.
The Bloomberg Billionaires Index currently lists Elon Musk with a net worth of $666 billion, though a notable portion of this is tied to his TSLA stock. Tesla currently holds a market cap of $1.51 trillion, and Elon Musk’s currently holds about 13% to 15% of the company’s outstanding common stock.
Founders Fund, co-founded by Peter Thiel, invested $20 million in SpaceX in 2008. Polymarket Money estimates the firm owns between 1.5% and 3% of the private space company. At a $1.75 trillion valuation, that range would translate to approximately $26.25 billion to $52.5 billion in value.
That return would represent one of the most significant venture capital outcomes in modern Silicon Valley history, with a growth of 131,150% to 262,400%.
Alphabet Inc., Google’s parent company, invested $900 million into SpaceX in 2015 and is estimated to hold between 6% and 7% of the private space firm. At the projected IPO valuation, that stake could be worth between $105 billion and $122.5 billion. That’s a growth of 11,566% to 14,455%.
Other major backers highlighted in the post include Fidelity Investments, Baillie Gifford, Valor Equity Partners, Bank of America, and Andreessen Horowitz, each potentially sitting on multibillion-dollar gains.
Elon Musk
SpaceX considering confidential IPO filing this March: report
The filing could pave the way for a June listing at a valuation that may exceed $1.75 trillion.
SpaceX is reportedly preparing to confidentially file for an initial public offering (IPO) as soon as March. The filing could pave the way for a June listing at a valuation that may exceed $1.75 trillion, potentially making it the largest IPO in history.
The update was initially reported by Bloomberg News, which cited information shared by people reportedly familiar with the matter.
As per the publication, a confidential filing allows a company to receive regulatory feedback before publicly releasing its financials. Bloomberg’s source, however, noted that the timing of SpaceX’s IPO is still under discussion and plans could change.
SpaceX did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
A March submission would mark the clearest step yet toward bringing Elon Musk’s private space company into public markets. People familiar with the preparations said the offering could raise as much as $50 billion. That would surpass the $29 billion debut of Saudi Aramco in 2019, currently the largest IPO on record.
Major banks including Goldman Sachs Group Inc., JPMorgan Chase & Co., Morgan Stanley, and Bank of America Corp. are reportedly positioned for senior roles in the transaction. SpaceX is also said to be considering a dual-class structure that would allow insiders, including Musk, to retain enhanced voting control.
Satellite communications provider EchoStar Corp., which holds a stake in SpaceX, reportedly saw its shares rise following news of the potential filing.
At a valuation exceeding $1.75 trillion, SpaceX would immediately have a larger market cap than all but five of the companies traded in the S&P 500 index. That figure would place it ahead of Meta Platforms Inc. and Tesla Inc. by market capitalization, trailing only a small group of mega-cap firms such as Apple Inc. and Microsoft Corp.
The scale of the proposed valuation reflects SpaceX’s dominance in orbital launch services and its Starlink satellite network, which serves millions of users globally. The company has also outlined long-term expansion plans tied to higher Starship launch cadence, orbital infrastructure, and lunar development initiatives.
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.
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.





