SpaceX targets Friday to launch Starship's eighth flight test

LOS ANGELES -- SpaceX is targeting Friday to launch the eighth flight test of its giant Starship rocket, pending regulatory approval, the company said on Monday.

The launch window will open at 5:30 pm Friday Central Time.

The upcoming flight will target objectives not reached on the previous test, including Starship's first payload deployment and multiple reentry experiments geared toward returning the upper stage to the launch site for catch. The flight also includes the launch, return, and catch of the Super Heavy booster, according to SpaceX.

During the flight test, Starship will deploy four Starlink simulators, similar in size to next-generation Starlink satellites, as the first exercise of a satellite deploy mission.

The flight test also includes several experiments focused on enabling Starship's upper stage to return to the launch site, said SpaceX.

SpaceX launched the seventh test flight of its giant Starship rocket on Jan. 16, but lost communication with its spacecraft shortly after launch.

SpaceX said its spacecraft experienced "rapid unscheduled disassembly" during the seventh flight test.

Starship plays a key role in NASA. It is the vehicle that NASA has selected to carry astronauts on the final leg of their trip to the moon during a mission called Artemis III, currently planned for 2026.