A trillion dollar question: Will SpaceX's Starship launch go well?

Space A trillion dollar question: Will SpaceX's Starship launch go well? May 21, 202611:26 AM ET By  Geoff Brumfiel ,  Maria Aspan SpaceX's latest version of it's mega rocket Starship goes through testing as it is prepared for a test flight from Starbase, Texas, Wednesday, May 20, 2026. Eric Gay/AP hide caption toggle caption Eric Gay/AP As SpaceX prepares for its public offering, it's undergoing a critical test of the largest rocket ever built. Later on Thursday, the company is set to conduct a launch of a heavily redesigned version of its Starship rocket. The new rocket will fly using dozens of new Raptor 3 engines powered by a novel fuel system in the booster. It will also carry upgraded avionics, satellites, and test ports for a future refueling system that could allow Starship to one day reach other destinations like the Moon and even Mars. The launch comes a little under a month before investors expect SpaceX's much-anticipated initial public offering. Many analysts expect SpaceX to raise up to $75 billion, and to be valued at up to $1.5 trillion. The amount raised could make this the largest IPO ever, and make SpaceX one of the most valuable companies in the world. Sponsor Message Watch Starship's twelfth flight test https://t.co/wxna6dy4Lh— SpaceX (@SpaceX) May 21, 2026 But a lot of that may rest on how Starship performs. The launch is "super important for the IPO," said Franco Granda, a senior researcher who covers SpaceX for the data firm, PitchBook. He believes that if Starship's launch goes badly, it could cause investors' excitement for the IPO "to diminish quite dramatically." Business Elon Musk's SpaceX IPO plans reveal blockbuster spending on rockets and AI "Even though tests are inherently tests, and failure typically doesn't dictate what happens later on, I think SpaceX will want to get this one right," he said. Financial disclosures released on Wednesday show just how critical the test is. SpaceX is spending billions of dollars...