SpaceX just ran through the countdown for Starship's next test flight, without actually launching anything.
The company completed a wet dress rehearsal, fueling the rocket and running ground crews through the full countdown sequence short of ignition. That step lets engineers catch fueling, plumbing, or software problems before committing to a real liftoff. SpaceX has not specified an exact launch date for the flight itself.
Starship has already flown several integrated test flights since its debut orbital attempt in April 2023, racking up a mix of explosions, partial successes, and incremental fixes to booster and ship recovery. A clean fueling rehearsal is a low bar, but it is the last procedural gate before liftoff, and SpaceX's rapid iteration on this program remains the reference point other rocket developers get measured against.
The countdown clock is the easy part. The real test, as usual, starts after engines light.