SpaceX Prepares for Starship Flight 7 with Major Upgrades and First Payload Test

The test, expected as early as January 10, will feature new design improvements and deploy Starlink simulators on a suborbital trajectory.

SpaceX is targeting January 10 for the seventh test flight of its Starship rocket, with backup dates extending through January 16, according to FAA notices and Elon Musk's social media updates.
The mission will introduce significant upgrades, including a redesigned heat shield with backup layers, enhanced avionics, and a propulsion system capable of holding 25% more fuel for longer missions.
For the first time, Starship will attempt a payload deployment test, carrying 10 Starlink simulators on a suborbital trajectory, which will reenter Earth's atmosphere alongside the rocket.
The upper-stage spacecraft's forward flaps have been modified to reduce heating during reentry, and alternative materials will be tested on exposed areas to improve thermal protection.
SpaceX aims for a transformative year for Starship, with plans to achieve full system reusability and support ambitious missions to Earth orbit, the Moon, and eventually Mars.