SpaceX's Starship Flight 7 launch test on Jan. 15

Image credit: SpaceX

SpaceX's seventh Starship test flight is now scheduled to launch no earlier than Wednesday, January 15, at 5 p.m. EST (2200 GMT).

As SpaceX prepares for its first Starship mission of 2025, the company will be testing a new version of the world's largest rocket. If you're eager to watch the launch live, which is now set for January 15, here’s everything you need to know.

The Starship Flight 7 mission will take off from SpaceX's Starbase facility near Boca Chica Beach in South Texas at 5 p.m. EST (2200 GMT) on Wednesday, January 15—two days later than the originally planned January 13 date. This flight will be the seventh test of SpaceX's Starship program, but it's also the first flight featuring a new design with significant upgrades. If successful, SpaceX plans to attempt to catch the Super Heavy booster at the launch site, as it did during a previous test last fall.

SpaceX is targeting the 5 p.m. EST (2200 GMT) launch time to ensure the return of the Starship vehicle occurs during daylight hours over the Indian Ocean. Liftoff will take place at 4 p.m. local time at the Starbase site.

On Friday, January 10, SpaceX confirmed on X that it successfully completed a fueling test for the stacked Starship rocket and Super Heavy booster, which stands nearly 400 feet (122 meters) tall when fully assembled. The megarocket is the tallest and most powerful rocket in the world.

While SpaceX initially aimed for a January 13 launch, the company pushed back the timeline late on Saturday, January 11. "Now targeting Wednesday, January 15 for the seventh flight test of Starship," SpaceX wrote on X. The launch time remains unchanged.

This shift means the launch will now occur on one of two "alternative days" designated as backups due to beach closures associated with the launch. Additional backup days may be added as the new launch date approaches.

Starship rockets rely on 33 Raptor engines on the Super Heavy booster to lift off from the Mechazilla pad at the Starbase facility, with the upper stage powered by six vacuum Raptor engines.

SpaceX’s first Starship launch occurred in April 2023 but failed to reach space. However, Flight 3 successfully reached space in March 2024, and the company conducted three more missions that year. The highlight of 2024 was the October 14 launch of Starship Flight 5, which saw SpaceX successfully catch the Super Heavy booster using the Mechazilla gantry arms.