As SpaceX prepares for a possible Jan. 10 launch of its Starship rocket, Elon Musk's company says it's made special improvements in time for the seventh flight test out of South Texas. "The upcoming flight test will launch a new generation ship with significant upgrades,

Elon Musk's SpaceX said on Friday its upcoming Starship test flight would include the rocket's first attempt to deploy payloads in space by releasing 10 model Starlink satellites, a key demonstration for Starship's potential in the satellite launch market.

During its next test, currently scheduled for Jan. 10, the Starship vehicle will carry a payload meant to replicate 10 next-generation Starlink satellites.

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched the Thuraya 4 satellite on Friday to a geostationary transfer orbit on behalf of Yahsat, a telecommunications company and satellite service provider based in the United Arab Emirates.

SpaceX has delayed the launch of its Thuraya 4 mission from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida until Friday, the company announced on its website Thursday.

After stage separation, the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket fist-stage booster landed on the drone ship A Shortfall of Gravitas in the Atlantic Ocean.