--- title: "Elon Musk: “Good Chance” SpaceX Starship Will Fly This Week" description: "SpaceX's Starship prototype called SN1o has a \"good chance of flying this week\" at the company's Texas facilities, according to Elon Musk." date: "2021-02-22" modified: "2021-02-22" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/elon-musk-starship-sn10-fly-this-week" categories: - "Elon Musk" - "Future Society" - "Space" - "SpaceX" - "Starship" - "The Industrialists" tags: - "elon musk" - "SpaceX" - "Starship" - "the digest" --- # Elon Musk: “Good Chance” SpaceX Starship Will Fly This Week ![SpaceX's Starship prototype called SN1o has a "good chance of flying this week" at the company's Texas facilities, according to Elon Musk.]() *\Image: SpaceX\* ## Defrosted It's only February and it's already been a turbulent year for SpaceX's [Starship]() project. The next prototype of the monstrous Mars-bound rocket will take to the skies in a matter of days, if all goes according to plan. The stainless steel tower, dubbed SN1o, has a "good chance of flying this week," according to a [Sunday tweet]() by SpaceX CEO Elon Musk. Luckily, the weather is playing along this time. A freak deep freeze hit the Lone Star state last week, forcing SpaceX to [delay its operations](). But since then, temperatures have returned to the [low 70s Fahrenheit](), clearing the way for the next epic test flight. ## Violent Explosions The news comes after SN10's predecessor SN9 rocketed to an altitude of approximately 10 kilometers earlier this month at the company's facility in Boca Chica, Texas. While the prototype nailed its "belly flop" maneuver, it slammed into the ground at considerably speed, abruptly ending its run in [a massive explosion](). And, adding to the expectations around SN10, SN9's predecessor SN8 [met a similar demise]() in December. ## Safety Precautions The events were so violent that the Federal Aviation Administration began an investigation into SpaceX's safety precautions. Late last week, however, an FAA spokesperson [told *CNET*]() that the agency had closed the investigation, "clearing the way for the SN10 test flight pending FAA approval of license updates." The space company recently installed aerodynamic flaps to SN10, [as spotted by onlookers](). The prototype will need to be run through several static fire tests before SpaceX sets the stage for the next explosion — or smooth landing, as the case may be. For now, we'll have to wait and see. **READ MORE:** [New SpaceX Starship prototype SN10 could fly as soon as next week]() \[*CNET*\] **More on Starship:** *[SpaceX Starship Testing Shut Down by Huge Snowstorm]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()