SpaceX Sets First Starship Launch Since xAI Merger

"The 12th test, due to take place in "four to six weeks" according to a comment by SpaceX president Gwynne Shotwell to the Financial Times, follows a successful October flight. Starship flew for about an hour, delivered a simulator payload, then re-entered and landed in the Indian Ocean."

"At 120 metres tall, Starship is the largest rocket ever built and is designed to carry up to 250 metric tonnes of cargo. NASA has selected it as the lunar lander for the Artemis programme, and Musk believes it will eventually ferry people and cargo to Mars."

"Since the last launch, SpaceX and xAI have merged. The tie-up has created a $1.25 trillion behemoth that is reportedly targeting a public listing next year, assuming Starship development proceeds smoothly."

SpaceX is preparing its first Starship launch since merging with Elon Musk's AI venture xAI. The 12th test flight will use an upgraded third-generation prototype designed to advance the rocket toward operational capability. SpaceX outlined an 18-month timeline at Mobile World Congress, targeting an operational Starship launch in early 2027 and a new Starlink constellation by mid-2027. The 120-meter-tall Starship, the largest rocket ever built, can carry up to 250 metric tonnes of cargo. NASA selected it as the lunar lander for Artemis, and Musk envisions it ferrying people and cargo to Mars. The SpaceX-xAI merger created a $1.25 trillion entity reportedly targeting a public listing next year. The merger has prompted exploration of synergies, including space-based data centers for AI training and inference.

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