SpaceX pivots to AI and data

SpaceX founder Elon Musk and president Gwynne Shotwell told investors the company now focuses on providing up to ten gigawatts of compute for artificial intelligence in twenty twenty-seven, shifting from Mars settlement ambitions.

Starship catch attempt planned

Three weeks after Starship's fourteenth test flight, SpaceX plans to attempt catching both the Super Heavy first stage and the Starship upper stage on the next flight, targeting November at Starbase in South Texas.

“more likely than not”

Regulatory hurdle: return over land

Starship must return to the launch site over land, including northern Mexico. Shotwell said SpaceX expects the FAA license for Flight fifteen to include return to launch site and tower catch for both stages.

“We have had significant constructive engagement with the FAA, and we expect the license for our Flight 15 to include return to launch site and tower catch for both stages”

Refueling test and lunar missions

SpaceX will attempt to refly a Starship upper stage early in twenty twenty-seven and complete a long-delayed Starship-to-Starship refueling test. This data will refine projections for lunar landings under NASA's Artemis Program.

Weekly launches by mid-twenty twenty-seven

Musk said SpaceX expects Starship to reach a weekly flight cadence during the first half of twenty twenty-seven and launch twice weekly during the second half. Complete reusability is the key to achieving this pace.

Rapid reusability is the goal

Musk said the rate of Starship launches will increase as the company solves rapid and complete reusability, eventually enabling immediate reflights like an airplane without refurbishment between flights.

“At first there will be a little bit of refurbishment that's needed between each flight, and we'll iron out the need for any refurbishment such that you can immediately land the rocket and launch it again, just like an airplane.”

Twenty twenty-seven payload focus

SpaceX will focus on its own payloads in twenty twenty-seven, continuing to launch Starlink V three satellites, second-generation mobile satellites for direct-to-cell connectivity, and Starmind data center prototypes.