Earlier this month, SpaceX’s colossal Starship rocket successfully completed its 11th flight test, signaling the end of the second version of this powerful vehicle.
Now, the SpaceX team is gearing up to launch the upgraded third version of the Starship, which boasts enhanced power, increased height, and some notable design tweaks.
While no exact date has been disclosed for the 12th Starship launch, insiders believe it will happen in early 2026.
Next year promises to be pivotal for the Starship program as a new launch site becomes operational, allowing for more frequent launches of this supremely engineered rocket.
Until now, all 11 Starship missions have taken off from SpaceX’s base in southern Texas. However, excitingly, we can expect future flights to occur about a thousand miles east at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
Currently, SpaceX is working hard to set up the infrastructure necessary for launches from Kennedy. Max Evans from NASASpaceflight recently posted an aerial photo that shows substantial progress on the launch mount.
He shared on social media: “The LC-39A launch mount for Starship at Roberts Road is nearing completion. Given its current progress, we suspect the rollout to the pad could happen very soon.”
This dedicated launch facility construction started about four years ago and is projected to cost approximately $1.8 billion.
With the Super Heavy first stage generating an astonishing 17 million pounds of thrust, the launch mount has been specially crafted to withstand the intense heat and pressure as the rocket departs.
But it’s not just the mount that needs to be finalized; other critical components include the launch tower featuring the innovative “chopstick” arms for securing the booster post-mission, a flame trench, a water deluge system, upgrades to nearby roads, and facilities for the Super Heavy and upper-stage Ship refurbishment.
Once all systems are in place, SpaceX aims to execute around 40 launches per year from Kennedy, which translates to nearly one launch each week.
Launching from Florida provides several advantages for SpaceX, including leveraging NASA’s facilities and over-ocean flight paths that are essential for manned and lunar operations.
Ultimately, the Starship will be crucial for transporting astronauts and cargo to the moon under NASA’s Artemis program and may even play a role in humanity’s first expeditions to Mars.
