SpaceX Starship Update Jan 10 Launch!
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Hey everybody, welcome back to the Elon Musk Podcast. This is a show where we discuss the critical crossroads that shape SpaceX, Tesla, X, The Boring Company, and Neuralink. I'm your host, Will Walden. SpaceX is preparing for the seventh flight test of its Starship vehicle, officially designated as Starship Flight Test.

Test 7, scheduled to launch no earlier than January 10, 2025 at 4 o'clock p.m. CDT from Starbase, Texas. Now the mission will aim to test critical upgrades while continuing to refine Starship's recovery and reuse systems. Now this flight will also feature the use of Block 2 hardware, which is a significant step that the Starship has developed over the course of many years.

Now, the upcoming mission will employ Booster 14, B-14, and Ship 33, or S-33, marking the first flight of a Block II starship. This test will follow a suborbital flight profile similar to earlier tests, with Booster 14 attempting a return-to-launch-site catch by the launch tower's chopstick arms, and Ship 34's

Ship 33 expected to perform a soft splashdown in the Indian Ocean. Now, if successful, this will be the second catch of a super heavy booster following progress made during earlier tests.

And the timeline for the mission was confirmed through an advisory released on December 27th of 2024 with a backup launch window extending until about January 15th, 2025. And Elon Musk reaffirmed the primary date via social media on December 30th. Here's some facts for you. November 6th, 2024, SpaceX confirmed the use of a Block 2 Starship in this test.

Enhancements include redesigned forward flaps, larger propellant tanks, and advanced thermal protection systems. November 19, 2024, Elon Musk announced plans for a final ocean splashdown test after Flight 6.

Based on its results, future tests may attempt ship recovery via the launch tower. November 25th, 2024, NASA documentation filed with the FAA suggested a targeted launch window beginning January 11th, 2025, which had been shifted to January 10th and December 3rd of 2024. The FCC approved communication systems program.

for the mission, which is supporting operations from December 14th, 2024, all the way through June 14th of 2025. December 27th, 2024, the advisory for Flight 7 confirmed the primary launch date of January 10th, 2025, with possible alternative launch times

later on in the week. December 30th, 2024, Elon Musk confirmed the net no earlier than launch date via X. Now this mission will test a suite of critical upgrades to the Starship system.

Key improvements include Ship 33 will debut redesigned forward flaps to improve heat shield durability and re-entry performance, a larger propellant capacity and advanced heat shield materials aimed to enhance thermal protection. Engineers will evaluate modular heat shield tiles and metallic alternatives with active

cooling features to address previous vulnerabilities. A secondary thermal protection layer will be tested as a backup mechanism. Booster 14 and Ship 33 feature increased propellant capacity, vacuum-insulated feed lines, and upgraded Raptor engine systems. In-space relight demonstrations similar to those conducted during

Flight 6 are also planned. There's new systems that provide increased redundance and real-time telemetry capabilities for this flight. The avionics redesign also includes 30-plus cameras and smart batteries capable of managing telemetry

2.7 megawatts of power. Now this is interesting. The mission will release 10 Starlink simulators into a suborbital trajectory to test Starship's payload deployment capabilities. That's what I'm most excited about. The FAA emphasized that the mission will proceed only if all safety, environmental,

and technical requirements are met. In its statement, the agency highlighted that they said the FAA continues to increase efficiencies in licensing activities to meet the needs of the commercial space transportation industry while ensuring public safety. Elon Musk and SpaceX have reiterated their commitment to public safety as well, with the boosters return requiring strict health checks along the way before it

The catch attempt. Now, if conditions are not favorable or not met, the booster will divert to a controlled landing and a splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico. Sonic booms also generated during the booster's

descent are expected to have minimal impact on surrounding areas. Now, did you know that reusable spacecraft have a long history, beginning with NASA's SpaceX shuttle program, 1981 to 2011? While partially reusable, the shuttle required extensive refurbishment between flights, limiting its cost effectiveness. Also, SpaceX's Falcon 9 advanced the concept by enabling the first stage to land

and be reused with minimal refurbishment. Now, since 2015, Falcon 9 has completed over 250 launches with more than 200 successful landings. Starship aims to surpass these milestones by achieving complete and full reusability for both the booster and the upper stage, making it the most efficient

advanced reusable spacecraft system ever designed. Now, following Flight 7, SpaceX will aim for further refinements during Flight Test 8, including a potential first attempt to catch the Starship upper stage with the launch tower.

And the data collected from these missions will inform plans for orbital crew flights and lunar landings under NASA's Artemis program. Competition in the reusable rocket sector is intensifying, too. Blue Origin's New Glenn and China's Long March 8 are being designed now.

With reusability in mind, though both lag behind Starship in testing and operational capabilities and readiness, the seventh flight test of Starship marks another important step toward achieving a fully reusable space transportation system. By integrating hardware upgrades and addressing challenges from prior tests,

This mission will play a key role in shaping the future of SpaceX's Starship and Boca Chica's Starbase Texas. For ongoing updates, subscribe to our Supercast for exclusive insights. Join the discussion on our Discord and visit our website, elonmuskpodcast.com, for additional resources.

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