Well folks, it’s time for the second launch of Starship version 2, as well as another booster RTLS and chopsticks catch attempt! Let’s hope the ship fares better this time!
| Scheduled for (UTC) | 2025-03-03 23:45 |
|---|---|
| Scheduled for (local) | 2025-03-03 17:45 (CDT) |
| Launch Window (UTC) | 2025-03-03 23:30 to 2025-03-04 00:30 (60 minutes) |
| Launch site | Pad A, SpaceX Starbase, TX, USA. |
| Booster | B15 |
| Ship | S34 |
| Booster landing | Chopsticks catch at Pad A or soft water landing in Gulf of Mexico |
| Ship landing | Indian Ocean |
Webcasts
| Stream | Link |
|---|---|
| Space Affairs | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VTpZ9y4ZGiM |
| Everyday Astronaut | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_4gAtrfi6w |
| Spaceflight Now | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nw8Y4HU0du4 |
| NASASpaceflight | Stakeout stream, Launch stream |
| LabPadre | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q2Fq4AJXoXk |
| The Launch Pad | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xFpYVZfEzcI |
| VideoFromSpace | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4dsTSWQ2MEA |
| SpaceX | https://x.com/SpaceX/status/1896292787600908747 |
| The Space Devs |
Stats
Sourced from NextSpaceflight and r/SpaceX:
☑️ 2nd launch of Starship version 2
☑️ 2nd Starship Full Stack launch this year, 8th overall
☑️ 2nd launch from Pad A this year, 8th overall
☑️ 46 days, 0:53:00 turnaround for this pad
☑️ 28th SpaceX launch this year, 478th overall
Mission Details 🚀
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SpaceX website (current). Highlights:
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“flight will fly the same suborbital trajectory as previous missions and will target objectives not reached on the previous test”
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“Starship will deploy four Starlink simulators, similar in size to next-generation Starlink satellites”
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Another in-space raptor relight is planned
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“A significant number of tiles have been removed from Starship to stress-test vulnerable areas across the vehicle.”
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“Multiple metallic tile options, including one with active cooling, will test alternative materials for protecting Starship during reentry.”
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“non-structural versions of Starship’s catch fittings are installed to test the fittings’ thermal performance”
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“flight also includes the launch, return, and catch of the Super Heavy booster”
Link to Starship Dev thread
Scrub for the day. New launch date TBD.
Hold released! Countdown has resumed!Edit: And back to holding at T-40 seconds…
Sounds like an automated system booster triggered the hold.
Holding at T-0:00:40
“Hold hold hold”
Launch is not scrubbed yet, propellant loading is still underway, and the launch countdown will continue down to T-40 seconds, at which point the countdown will enter a hold for troubleshooting, and a new T-0 could be established.
Impression seems to be that they’ve cleared the issue and are proceeding towards launch.
Exciting!
Update: hold in the count apparently.
Yep, sounds like they’ve not scrubbed yet though. They can pause the count at T-40 seconds while they troubleshoot.
Excited to see mock Starlink deployment, hopefully.
https://x.com/SpaceX/status/1896693308908535992
The Starship team is go for prop load. Targeting 5:45pm CT for liftoff of Starship’s eighth flight test.
The launch webcast will go live ~40 minutes ahead of liftoff
Booster issue cleared, they are now troubleshooting an issue on the ship.
Countdown is holding at T-40 seconds, as expected, while teams troubleshoot an issue on the booster.
NASASpaceflight are live with coverage: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nAlPb6NrCVo
The tank farm is starting to spool up.
SpaceX are live. Kate Tice and Dan Huot are hosting.
Propellant loading has started.
T-1 hour. Launch mount and tower are venting.