March 6
Starship Flight 8 Achieves Partial Success

March 6 saw SpaceX's Starship Flight 8 accomplish a significant milestone with the Super Heavy booster's successful ascent and precise catch by the launch tower's mechanical arms, proving the first time was not a fluke. 

However, the mission encountered challenges with the Starship upper stage. Approximately nine minutes into the flight, an "energetic event" in the aft section led to the loss of multiple Raptor engines, resulting in a loss of attitude control and subsequent communication breakdown.

This incident mirrors issues from Flight 7, where harmonic vibrations caused structural failures. SpaceX had implemented corrective measures, but the recurrence suggests further refinements are necessary. Despite the setback, Elon Musk referred to the event as a "minor setback," indicating that the next ship will be ready in mid-April.

For investors, the successful booster catch underscores SpaceX's advancements in reusability. The upper stage anomaly, while a challenge, is part of the iterative development process, with each test providing critical data to enhance Starship's reliability.

March 7
FCC Grants SpaceX Waiver to Enhance Direct-to-Cell Services

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has approved SpaceX's request to increase the power flux density (PFD) limit for its Starlink satellites from -120 dBW/m²/MHz to -110.6 dBW/m²/MHz. This adjustment is important for SpaceX's Direct-to-Cell (D2C) services, as adhering to the previous limit with current V2 Mini satellites would have necessitated reducing satellite transmit power by approximately 3.1 dB, potentially impacting the capacity and coverage of its D2C offerings, especially for high-Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR) services like voice and data. The waiver is subject to conditions aimed at protecting adjacent band terrestrial wireless networks. SpaceX is required to address any harmful interference that may arise and, if necessary, cease operations under the waiver. ​

March 14
SpaceX Presses U.S. to Tackle Starlink Trade Barriers Abroad

SpaceX is lobbying Washington to help tear down international barriers hindering Starlink’s expansion, signaling how central global markets have become to its growth story. In a letter to the U.S. Trade Representative, SpaceX argued that “protectionist” fees and spectrum access restrictions in certain countries are unfairly inflating its costs and slowing adoption of Starlink. The company noted it must pay hefty spectrum licensing fees, import duties on user terminals, and other regulatory charges in some markets – costs foreign satellite operators don’t face in the U.S. By calling out these trade barriers, SpaceX is effectively seeking U.S. government leverage to level the playing field as it enters emerging markets.

This push comes amid Starlink’s presence in 120+ countries and over 5 million users globally, and it highlights SpaceX’s strategic intent to make Starlink a worldwide service unimpeded by local incumbents or red tape. Investors should read this as SpaceX laying the groundwork for faster international subscriber growth and margin improvement abroad. If successful, reducing these barriers could unlock new customer bases in regions like South Asia, Africa, and Latin America – turning Starlink’s already rapid global rollout into an even more formidable competitive advantage (while underscoring Elon Musk’s increasing influence in policy spheres).

March 15
Launchpad Turnaround Record: 2 Days Between Falcon 9 Flights

SpaceX’s operational efficiency hit a new high as it launched two Falcon 9 missions just 2 days and 9 hours apart from the same pad – a record turnaround time that shatters the previous mark by nearly six hours. On March 15, a Falcon 9 carrying 23 Starlink satellites lifted off from Cape Canaveral’s SLC-40 barely over 48 hours after the pad’s last launch. This kind of rapid reusability and streamlined launch ops has never been seen in orbital rocketry, and it speaks to SpaceX’s unparalleled cadence. The ability to refurbish a booster, service the pad, and relaunch in roughly two days showcases a logistical prowess usually reserved for aircraft, not rockets. For context, SpaceX’s launch tempo in Q1 has put it on track to deliver well over 100 missions this year, far outpacing any competitor or national space program.

March 15
Starship Tests Regenerative Heat Shield, Says Former SpaceX Engineer

SpaceX engineer Dylan Small revealed that he originally pitched the idea of regenerative cooling tiles now being tested on Starship. Unlike traditional ceramic tiles, regenerative systems use internal coolant flow to handle re-entry heat—offering a path toward true rapid reusability.

Small criticized ceramic tiles as a bottleneck and pointed to Stoke Space as “on the right track” for reusability breakthroughs. As investors in Stoke, we believe regen tech could be a game-changer for reusability and may turn out to be vital for SpaceX’s long-term Starship ambitions.

March 15
SpaceX Plans Mars Mission with Starship and Optimus Robot by Late 2026

Elon Musk has announced that SpaceX aims to send its Starship spacecraft to Mars by the end of 2026, carrying Tesla's humanoid robot, Optimus. If successful, this mission could pave the way for human landings as early as 2029. This ambitious timeline reflects Musk's confidence in SpaceX's technological advancements and Starlink's growing cashflows, which have been stated to be instrumental in funding Mars. It also validates that robotics will play a role in supporting human missions.

March 17
SpaceX CFO Signals Potential for Starlink Service Level Agreements

SpaceX Chief Financial Officer Bret Johnsen has indicated that Starlink may soon offer service level agreements (SLAs) to enterprise customers. Speaking at SATELLITE 2025, Johnsen emphasized the network’s strong uptime performance and said it’s “probably time” to formalize guarantees for customers in critical industries like aviation and maritime. Adding SLAs increase Starlink’s appeal to enterprise clients and also enable premium pricing, higher average revenue per user, and improved revenue predictability. Johnsen also emphasized the company's focus on operations, stating there are no immediate plans for an IPO..

March 21
Falcon 9 Booster Reflown in 9 Days, Setting Reuse Milestone

SpaceX notched another reusability record when a Falcon 9 first stage flew again after just 9 days, smashing the prior 14-day turnaround benchmark. The booster’s second mission – lofting a U.S. National Reconnaissance Office satellite from Vandenberg – demonstrated an unprecedented refurbishment speed for orbital hardware. Reusing a rocket in under two weeks would have sounded fanciful a few years ago; SpaceX just did it in under ten days. Importantly, this feat wasn’t just a stunt on a routine flight – it took place on a high-profile national security launch, signaling that even the U.S. military and intelligence community now trust rapidly reflown boosters for their most critical payloads.

This achievement underscores how far ahead SpaceX is on the reusability curve: faster turnaround directly lowers cost per launch and increases annual launch capacity. It also pressures would-be rivals (legacy launch providers and newer players alike) to catch up in a game that SpaceX is defining. For investors, the 9-day reuse milestone exemplifies operational leverage – each booster can generate more revenue in a shorter time, improving margins for Starlink launches and external contracts. It reinforces the thesis that SpaceX’s lead in reusability is translating into a near-insurmountable economic lead in the launch sector.

March 24
Elon Musk Targets Weekly Starship Launches Within a Year

Elon Musk has revealed that SpaceX is nearing completion of the Version 3 Starship and plans to reach a rate of one Starship launch per week within the next 12 months. That would mean over 50 launches annually, which is an unprecedented cadence that exceeds our current modeling assumptions. If achieved, it would signal a surprisingly rapid ramp-up in Starship reusability and operational scale, with major implications for launch costs, satellite deployment, and Mars timelines.

March 25
Starlink's Next Leap: Gigabit Speeds

SpaceX is reportedly developing a new Starlink dish capable of delivering gigabit speeds, a significant leap from the current 200 Mbps. This advancement, highlighted during a recent webinar for Starlink resellers, promises to rival ground-based fiber networks. ​

Achieving these speeds will require deploying third-generation V3 Starlink satellites, launching via Starship. SpaceX's commitment to enhancing connectivity is further evidenced by United Airlines' recent FAA approval to equip its aircraft with Starlink broadband, offering passengers in-flight Wi-Fi speeds 50 times faster than current regional aircraft.

These developments suggest a future where high-speed internet is accessible globally, from remote locations to airborne travelers, effectively bathing the world in bandwidth from space.

March 25
Starlink Edges Closer to India Entry with Telecom Tie-Ups

After years of regulatory impasse, SpaceX’s Starlink is on the cusp of a breakthrough in India – potentially one of its largest markets. In a surprising development this month, Starlink secured agreements with India’s two biggest telecom companies (Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel) to jointly introduce satellite broadband services in the country. These partnerships signal that major Indian players, once opposed to Starlink’s entry, now see value in collaborating rather than competing. Analysts estimate India’s satellite internet market could be a $25 billion opportunity, so an approval for Starlink would be transformational.

The political logjam over spectrum allocation (which had pitted SpaceX against telecom incumbents) appears to be easing, paving the way for an official license possibly in the near future. For SpaceX, cracking India would validate its strategy of aligning with local stakeholders to enter tough markets, and it would turbocharge Starlink’s subscriber growth. Investors should watch this space closely: success in India not only means a new revenue avalanche for Starlink, but also strengthens SpaceX’s hand in other emerging markets by proving it can overcome regulatory and competitive barriers through creative deal-making.

March 28
Vietnam Greenlights Starlink Ground Stations Amid U.S. Trade Talks

In a move blending business and geopolitics, Vietnam has given tentative approval for SpaceX to establish up to 10-15 Starlink ground stations across the country, with the first hub expected online by early summer. This decision – outlined in a government directive dated March 23 – is being seen as an “olive branch” to Elon Musk and the U.S. amid trade negotiations, as Vietnam seeks to avoid looming American tariffs by courting Musk’s enterprises. The planned ground station network (one of the largest for Starlink in any single nation) would not only improve service quality for Vietnamese Starlink users but also satisfy Hanoi’s requirement that all local internet traffic be monitored on Vietnamese soil.

SpaceX has even pledged to invest up to $1.5 billion in Vietnam and is exploring moving some manufacturing there, underscoring its commitment. Strategically, a Starlink foothold in Vietnam strengthens SpaceX’s presence in Southeast Asia and could serve as a regional gateway. It shows how Starlink is becoming a bargaining chip in international relations – nations see partnering with SpaceX as a way to ingratiate themselves with the U.S. administration (where Musk holds influence) and to leapfrog their communications infrastructure. For SpaceX, the upside is twofold: a smoother entry into a market that initially had reservations, and a precedent for leveraging political capital to expand globally. Investors can view this as a sign that SpaceX’s global expansion is not just technical, but highly strategic – the company is willing to integrate with local policy demands and utilize geopolitical currents to its advantage, which bodes well for its ability to navigate other politically sensitive markets

March 31
SpaceX Launches First Crewed Mission to Polar Orbit (Fram2)

SpaceX capped the month with a historic first in human spaceflight: the Fram2 private astronaut mission became the first crewed flight to orbit the Earth over the poles. A Falcon 9 lifted off from Kennedy Space Center carrying a Crew Dragon (Resilience) on March 31, and this free-flying mission now orbits at 90° inclination, flying directly over the North and South Poles – something even NASA never attempted during the Cold War. Fram2 is a purely commercial venture funded by Chun Wang, a Chinese-born cryptocurrency billionaire (now a Maltese citizen) who commanded the mission. Accompanied by a Norwegian cinematographer, a German robotics engineer, and an Australian polar explorer, Wang specifically chose the polar trajectory to do “something unique” rather than just visit the ISS.

For SpaceX, Fram2 is the sixth non-NASA Dragon flight and a significant expansion of its crew launch business beyond government missions. The technical success of a polar orbit journey showcases Dragon’s versatility and SpaceX’s willingness to push boundaries for private clients. It opens up new vistas for the space tourism and research market – from polar science observations to simply offering ultra-wealthy adventurers new bragging rights (the first humans over the poles since Yuri Gagarin’s era). In investment terms, Fram2 underlines the growing demand for SpaceX’s human spaceflight services. It demonstrates that SpaceX can monetize Crew Dragon beyond NASA, tapping global capital (even indirectly from China) for bespoke missions. Each such mission contributes high-margin revenue. As more entrepreneurs and nations seek unique crewed experiences in the short term, SpaceX is positioned to capture that market, leveraging its proven Dragon fleet while it develops Starship for even grander crewed missions in the future.