A new version of Starship could soon make its 2026 debut in Texas. Will SpaceX still launch the world's largest rocket this year from Florida?

SpaceX could soon debut from South Texas a more advanced and powerful version of its mammoth spacecraft known as Starship. Here's what to know.

SpaceX has one final launch scheduled from Southern California before Christmas. A Falcon 9 rocket is set to launch Tuesday, Dec. 16 from the Vandenberg Space Force Base. The mission will deploy 27 Starlink internet satellites into low-Earth orbit.

Could SpaceX launch a new design of Starship in January? Here's what to know about a mission Elon Musk's company refers to as flight 12.

Which US rocket companies achieved the most during 2025? Once again, Ars Technica is here to provide some answers in the form of our annual power ranking of US launch companies. We began doing this in 2022 and have since put out a top-10 list every year (see 2023 and 2024 ).

SpaceX is now seeking FAA approval to add new trajectories as Starship strives to reach orbit. Under the plan, the rocket would fly over land in Florida and Mexico, as well as the airspace of Cuba, Jamaica and the Cayman Islands, likely disrupting hundreds of flights.

One of the nation’s behemoth rockets could find a home at Vandenberg Space Force Base as the military asks aerospace companies for their interest in developing a brand-new facility so that the biggest class of rockets can blast off from the West Coast.

In addition to five Starship-Super Heavy launches—three of which reached their targeted near-orbital altitudes and are included in the global tally—SpaceX launched 165 Falcon 9 rockets in 2025, surpassing its 2024 record of 134 Falcon 9 and two Falcon Heavy flights. No Falcon Heavy rockets flew in 2025.