The company has been working with an observatory and the US National Science Foundation to study the effects of lowering its satellites to 350km (217 miles) versus 550km.

After separation from the upper stage, the lower-stage booster will attempt to return to Starbase to land at its launch tower. The company achieved the feat during the fifth flight of Starship on Oct. 13 but was unable to repeat it on the sixth flight in November. That booster diverted to a water landing in the Gulf of Mexico.

SpaceX successfully launched its first Starlink mission of 2025 from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on Monday. SpaceX sent 24 of the communication satellites to low-Earth orbit.

United plans to roll out its first Starlink-equipped plane as early as spring. It joins a handful of other airlines inking deals for Musk's WiFi.

United Airlines said a faster rollout on its planes will allow for "game-changing" in-flight experiences such as streaming services, shopping and gaming.

United Airlines says in-flight Wi-Fi through Starlink will eventually be available on all United flights on seat-back screens and personal devices.