SpaceX is gearing up for its next test flight of the colossal Starship rocket on Monday, amidst mounting concerns over Elon Musk’s ability to deliver on NASA’s lunar projects and his ambitious Mars colonization plans. The Starship, the largest and most powerful rocket ever built, is pivotal to NASA’s Artemis program, which aims to return astronauts to the Moon by the mid-2020s. It is also central to Musk’s vision of establishing a human presence on Mars. While the August test flight was deemed a success, it followed a series of dramatic explosions that have cast doubt on the rocket’s reliability and timeline. NASA’s Artemis III mission, targeting a mid-2027 launch, faces potential delays, with safety advisory panels warning it could be ‘years late.’ Former NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine has expressed skepticism, stating it is ‘highly unlikely’ the U.S. will outpace China’s lunar ambitions, which aim for a crewed mission by 2030. NASA’s acting administrator, Sean Duffy, remains optimistic, asserting that the U.S. will prevail in what he calls the ‘second space race.’ The upcoming test flight, scheduled for 6:15 pm local time from SpaceX’s Texas facility, follows previous attempts that ended in explosions, including one during a ground test in June. Despite these setbacks, SpaceX achieved a milestone in August by deploying eight dummy Starlink satellites during a test flight. Musk has highlighted the development of a reusable orbital heat shield and in-orbit refueling with super-cooled propellant as critical challenges. NASA’s Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel has raised concerns about the feasibility of these technologies, with member Paul Hill noting the timeline is ‘significantly challenged.’