Mikkel Christensen
Elon Musk says SpaceX’s next-generation rocket could soon be flying at an unprecedented pace.
Elon Musk says SpaceX’s next-generation rocket could soon be flying at an unprecedented pace.
The SpaceX chief executive predicted that Starship may launch as frequently as once every hour within three years.
According to Yahoo Finance, Musk made the comment on social media platform X while responding to a post highlighting SpaceX’s growing dominance in orbital launches in 2026.
Ambitious timeline
“It will get really nutty when Starship is launching every hour in 3 years,” Musk wrote in response to a user who noted that seven of nine upcoming worldwide orbital rocket launches were Falcon 9 missions.
The post underscored SpaceX’s current launch schedule, including multiple Falcon 9 liftoffs from California and Florida in February.
Starship, currently under development, is central to Musk’s long-term plans for deep space travel. The rocket is expected to play a key role in NASA’s Artemis moon program and Musk’s ambition to eventually send humans to Mars.
Expansion plans
Benzinga reported that Musk recently set a target of producing 10,000 Starship rockets annually as SpaceX prepares for a potential initial public offering, reportedly planned for June.
SpaceX has also acquired Musk’s artificial intelligence startup xAI. The combined entity is valued at about $1.25 trillion, according to the report, placing it close to Tesla’s market valuation.
Orbital data centers
The development of Starship could also support Musk’s plans for space-based infrastructure, including satellite-powered AI data centers.
The concept has drawn criticism. Short seller James Chanos described space-based AI computing as “AI snake oil,” arguing it would be more expensive than land-based systems.
Meanwhile, the Federal Communications Commission has invited SpaceX to comment on proposals involving more than 1 million non-geostationary satellites positioned roughly 2,000 kilometers above Earth. The company has reportedly sought waivers related to those plans.
Sources: Finance.yahoo
