Elon Musk's SpaceX gears up for four spectacular rocket launches in 48 hours

This ambitious schedule shows the company's growing dominance in the commercial space industry and its commitment to rapid, reusable spaceflight.

In Short

• Starship is the largest and most powerful rocket ever built
• SpaceX re-light the engine on Starship in space.
• SpaceX began the week by launching 20 Starlink satellites

In a remarkable display of technological prowess and operational efficiency, SpaceX is set to launch four rockets into space within a 48-hour window, including its massive Starship Super Heavy vehicle.

This ambitious schedule shows the company's growing dominance in the commercial space industry and its commitment to rapid, reusable spaceflight.

The launch marathon will include the highly anticipated sixth test flight of the Starship Super Heavy rocket from SpaceX's Starbase facility in Boca Chica, Texas on Tuesday.

Standing at an impressive 400 feet tall, Starship is the largest and most powerful rocket ever built. This test flight aims to not only send the Starship upper stage on a suborbital trajectory but also to return the Super Heavy booster intact to the launch site, and then re-light the engine on Starship in space.

In a groundbreaking manoeuvre, SpaceX plans to utilise its specialised tower, dubbed "Mechazilla," to catch the returning Super Heavy booster midair with robotic arms.

This innovative recovery technique is crucial for SpaceX's goal of achieving rapid re-flight capabilities, potentially allowing for launches within 30 minutes after recovery.

SpaceX began the week by launching 20 Starlink satellites to space aboard its Falcon-9 launch vehicle from Florida's Kennedy Space Center.

The launch marathon will conclude with two Falcon 9 rockets lifting off from separate coasts – one from Cape Canaveral, Florida, and another from California – each carrying a payload of Starlink satellites. These launches will further expand SpaceX's growing constellation of internet-providing satellites.

It will also launch India's 4,700 kilogram communication satellite.

This ambitious series of launches not only showcases SpaceX's operational capabilities but also highlights the company's pivotal role in advancing space exploration and commercialisation.

With each successful mission, SpaceX moves closer to its ultimate goal of making life multi-planetary, while simultaneously revolutionizing the economics of space travel.

As the space industry watches with bated breath, this 48-hour launch spree promises to be a historic moment in the annals of spaceflight, potentially redefining our expectations for the frequency and efficiency of space missions.