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SpaceX Starship prepares for test flight as Florida facility takes shape
SpaceX’s Starship, the world’s largest rocket, is preparing for another test flight as a massive production facility takes shape on Florida’s Space Coast.
TITUSVILLE, Fla. - The race to the moon is heating up on the Space Coast as SpaceX races to complete a massive "Starship Factory" near the Kennedy Space Center.
The facility, which is expected to be fully built by the end of 2026, will be the birthplace of the rockets intended to carry NASA astronauts back to the lunar surface.
A high-stakes test flight
What we know:
SpaceX is currently preparing for its next major test flight. The Starship vehicle is already stacked and ready on the launch pad following a series of upgrades designed to address failures seen in previous versions.
Space UpClose's Ken Kremer noted that SpaceX recently completed a "wet dress rehearsal," signaling that a launch could happen any day.
"They have to upgrade it because v1 and v2 had a lot of failures," Kremer said. "That’s why these changes are really important. They have to work, and it has to be safe".
The looming ‘space race’ with China
While NASA remains committed to Starship as its primary lunar lander for the Artemis missions, delays have caused concern among experts.
Timeline:
Artemis 3 is currently targeted for a late 2027 launch, but internal readiness dates for some components have already slipped into 2028.
Kremer warns that SpaceX's setbacks could have geopolitical consequences.
"On Starship, they are years behind schedule, and now because of that, the Chinese could beat us to the moon," he said.
Testing in Florida's backyard
While much of the early Starship testing has occurred in Texas, the focus is shifting to Florida. The massive factory taking shape near KSC represents a $1.8 billion investment in the Space Coast infrastructure.
Zac Aubert, founder of The Launch Pad Network, says the big question now shifts from the factory to the fleet itself.
"Will they have vehicles ready and in orbit?" Aubert asked. "More of my questions go to those companies [SpaceX] than they do to NASA."
SpaceX has stated it aims for its first Florida-based Starship launches by the end of this year, provided it receives the necessary federal approvals.
The Source: Information in this story was gathered by FOX 35's Esther Bower.