Starship flight test 7

This article is about the seventh flight test of the Starship+Super Heavy vehicle. For other launches of Starship, see List of Starship launches.

Starship flight test 7 will be the seventh flight test of a SpaceX Starship launch vehicle. The prototype vehicles expected to be flown are Ship 33, the first Block 2 upper stage, and Booster 14, a Block 1 vehicle.

Starship flight test 7

Mission type	Flight test
Operator	SpaceX
Spacecraft properties
Spacecraft	Starship Ship 33
Spacecraft type	Starship
Manufacturer	SpaceX
Start of mission
Launch date	NET January 11, 2025
Rocket	Super Heavy (B14)
Launch site	Starbase, OLP-A
End of mission
Landing site	Super Heavy: Starbase, OLP-A Ship: Indian Ocean
SpaceX Starship flight tests

According to documents filed with the Federal Aviation Administration, Flight 7 is targeted to liftoff from Texas in the early morning hours of January 11, 2025. This timing will allow a NASA aircraft to capture and record thermal imagery of Starship’s re-entry which will occur during nighttime over the Indian Ocean.

Background

Vehicle testing ahead of launch

Ship 33, a Block 2 Starship, is expected to be flown on flight 7. In October 2024, Ship 33 underwent cryogenic testing. Its counterpart, Booster 14, also underwent cryogenic testing in October.

NASA imaging of Starship landing

For this launch, NASA plans to use a specially equipped Gulfstream V aircraft (N95NA) to capture images of the Starship's re-entry and peak-heating. The aircraft will be positioned to observe the spacecraft as it emerges over the horizon and splashes down in the eastern Indian Ocean. To ensure optimal imaging conditions, the landing must occur at night, and the aircraft must fly with its exterior and interior lights extinguished. This poses significant safety risks, requiring a waiver from aviation authorities and stringent procedures to prevent other aircraft from entering the flight path.

NASA has requested an expedited waiver from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to commence practice flights over the Gulf of Mexico and Southwest Texas in early December. Subsequently, the aircraft will be flown to Perth, Australia on January 3 for additional practice flights in the actual landing zone, ahead of the targeted Flight Test 7 on January 11, 2025. If the FAA approves the waiver, Australia's Civil Aviation Safety Authority has indicated its willingness to honor the exemption, allowing for both practice flights and the imaging flight during Flight Test 7.