Elon Musk takes a risk in the tenth test of his Starship rocket after three failed attempts.

Third time wasn't the charm , so Elon Musk is hoping it's fourth time. Since launching the new prototype of his Starship, the rocket with which the SpaceX owner wants to go first to the Moon and then to Mars, all the tests carried out have ended in explosions and flames in the sky, even with the closure of the airspace due to the possible fall of debris from the shattered launcher.

Early this Monday morning, at exactly 2:30 a.m. Spanish time, the company will have another opportunity to redeem itself and clear up any doubts surrounding what is currently the company's flagship. The launch, which will take place from its facilities in the newly created city of Starbase (in Boca Chica, Texas), can be followed live on the company's website and its official X account, as well as on the ABC.es website. However, the company reminds us that, as with previous tests, "the schedule is dynamic and subject to change."

The flight comes after SpaceX completed investigations into the loss of the rocket on the ninth mission and an anomaly detected during a static test of the Ship 36 prototype. “Hardware and operational changes have been made to improve reliability,” the company explained in its statement .

One of the main objectives will be to test the Super Heavy, the first stage that measures 70 meters tall and is powered by 33 Raptor engines. The booster will rehearse several landing maneuvers in the Gulf of Mexico (now renamed the Gulf of America by US President Donald Trump) to gather new data on extreme scenarios. SpaceX details that the booster "will attempt an experiment in which one of the three center engines will be intentionally shut down, in order to test if a center corona engine can complete the landing maneuver." After that, it will reduce propulsion to just two engines to hover over the sea before shutting down and falling into the water.

Starship's upper stage, dubbed Ship, will also play a key role in the test. Among its goals, as during previous tests, is the deployment of eight Starlink satellite simulators, the same size as the next generation of the constellation. These devices will travel on the same suborbital trajectory as the spacecraft and "are expected to be destroyed upon atmospheric re-entry," according to the statement. In addition, the in-orbit restart of a Raptor engine will be tested.

Another key aspect will be the evaluation of the heat shield, which protects the rocket from the scorching impact of the atmosphere. To this end, SpaceX has intentionally removed several protective tiles, with the aim of "stressing vulnerable areas during reentry." The company also confirms that "multiple metal tile options, including one with active cooling," will be tested, as well as new aerodynamic connections to the protective lines.

Reentry will test the structural limits of the spacecraft's rear flaps at the height of its dynamic pressure. "Flight testing continues to provide valuable learnings to inform the design of the next generation of Starship and Super Heavy vehicles," the company emphasizes.

SpaceX concludes that, with production ramping up at its Texas factory and the construction of new infrastructure in Florida, the program continues to advance toward its ultimate goal: a "rapid and fully reusable" launch system. The idea is for Starship to be used starting with the fourth mission of the Artemis Program, which will return NASA astronauts to the Moon. In the long term, Musk intends for it to be used to transport crews to Mars, starting in the next decade.