Overview

• SpaceX confirmed its next-generation grid fin is 50% larger and that the booster’s control layout has been reduced from four fins to three to improve precision at higher descent angles.
• Engineers repositioned the fins lower on the booster and embedded their shafts and actuators inside the fuel tank to create a dedicated catch point.
• SpaceX plans to eliminate landing legs in favor of tower-mounted catch arms that it says will speed booster turnaround and raise launch cadence.
• Independent analysts tie the grid-fin redesign to broader Block 3 modifications—such as Raptor 3 engine integration and a roughly 25% propellant increase—that await confirmation in flight.
• FAA approval for the next Starship flight and the build-out of additional towers at Florida’s LC-39A and SLC-37 will dictate when these fins are tested in operation.