SpaceX is poised to launch its Starship megarocket, the cornerstone of CEO Elon Musk’s vision for Mars colonization, on Tuesday, from its Starbase facility near the newly incorporated city of Starbase, Texas.

The 403-foot-tall Starship, the largest and most powerful launch vehicle ever constructed, is pivotal not only for Musk’s interplanetary ambitions but also for NASA’s Artemis 3 mission, which aims to return American astronauts to the Moon.

The test flight, Starship’s ninth, follows two prior attempts that ended in explosive failures, scattering debris across Caribbean islands and disrupting air travel.

These setbacks have intensified pressure on SpaceX to deliver a successful outcome.

The company, known for its aggressive testing strategy that propelled it to dominance in commercial spaceflight, remains optimistic but tempered expectations in a statement, noting that progress “won’t always come in leaps.”

According to The Wall Street Journal, SpaceX is reallocating significant personnel and resources to the Starship program, targeting readiness for a Mars mission as early as next year.

A key achievement in recent tests has been SpaceX’s ability to catch the Super Heavy first-stage booster using the launch tower’s robotic arms, a groundbreaking technique aimed at enabling rapid reuse and cost reduction.

However, for this flight, SpaceX will reuse a Super Heavy booster for the first time and has opted against a catch attempt, choosing instead a controlled splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico.

The outcome of this test will be closely watched by investors, analysts, and NASA, as SpaceX seeks to solidify Starship’s role in the future of space exploration.