SpaceX Prepares for Eighth Starship Test Flight After January Explosion

The uncrewed mission will test payload deployment, engine reignition, and booster recovery in SpaceX's push for reusable spacecraft.

• SpaceX's Starship, the world's most powerful rocket, is set to launch its eighth test flight from its Starbase facility in Texas at 6:30 p.m. ET.
• The mission will include Starship's first attempt to deploy mock satellites, as well as testing engine reignition and controlled reentry over the Indian Ocean.
• The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) cleared the flight after grounding Starship following its January test flight, which ended in an explosion over the Caribbean.
• SpaceX has implemented upgrades to the rocket's design to address issues from the previous failure and improve reliability.
• The reusable rocket is central to Elon Musk's vision for Mars colonization and NASA's Artemis program, which aims to return humans to the Moon.

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