Overview

• The launch timing remains tentative, with SpaceX noting the schedule could shift on short notice.
• Starship pairs a reusable Super Heavy booster with an upper stage designed for lunar missions with NASA and long‑term Mars goals.
• Nine prior tests deviated from plan, including the April 2023 breakup and a June ground explosion, though one flight reached space and splashed down under control.
• SpaceX frames the campaign as data gathering, with Elon Musk citing a build cadence of one vehicle every two to three weeks and a long‑term target of about 1,000 per year.
• Experts question the program’s aggressive risk posture and environmental exposure, discuss smaller alternatives such as a proposed ‘Starboat,’ and warn that crewed Mars trips carry severe hazards.