SpaceX has set a date for its first orbital test flight of the Starship rocket. The company plans to launch on September 28 with a window opening at 8:15 AM Eastern Time. This upcoming flight will mark the 14th test of the Starship vehicle. The launch remains subject to final regulatory approval.
The rocket will carry 26 new V3 satellites for the Starlink internet constellation. These are the first V3 satellites to be launched into orbit by SpaceX. The previous test flight carried next-generation satellites for the first time, but those only extended solar panels and antennas before burning up in the atmosphere. SpaceX successfully communicated with all 20 satellites carried on that July flight before they reentered as planned.
This new flight will send satellites that are actually meant to serve customers. The V3 satellites can support up to 1 Tbps of downlink capacity, which is about ten times more than the previous V2 model. They also offer 160 Gbps of uplink capacity, a 22-fold increase over V2 satellites.
If the flight proceeds as planned, Starship will enter an orbit about 275 kilometers above Earth and circle the planet about six times. The mission is expected to last nearly 10 hours. SpaceX also plans to deploy all 26 satellites while Starship is in orbit.
SpaceX will not attempt to catch the rocket with the launch tower's arms during this flight. The Super Heavy booster is instead expected to perform a boostback and landing burn before splashing down in the Gulf of Mexico. After completing its orbital mission, the upper stage will perform a controlled reentry and splash down in the Pacific Ocean west of Chile.
The flight will test systems needed for future Starship missions and the company’s goal of making the vehicle fully reusable. SpaceX says Starship and Super Heavy are ultimately designed to return to the launch site and be caught for rapid reuse.
Viewers can watch the launch through SpaceX's website and official X account.