SpaceX Sets Target Date for First Orbital Attempt of Starship Mega Rocket

SpaceX plans to execute the 14th test flight of its Starship launch vehicle on Sept. 22, aiming to put the rocket's upper stage into Earth's orbit for the first time, as first reported by TechCrunch. The company announced the upcoming test on Tuesday, detailing a 75-minute launch window that opens at 7:15 a.m. Central Time.

During the test flight, SpaceX intends to deploy 26 third-generation Starlink satellites into orbit. The payload represents the first operational batch of V3 satellites designated for the company's network of 10,000 orbital internet satellites. If successful, the mission will mark the first time a Starship flight generates revenue for SpaceX's launch division, with the payment coming from its internal satellite communications business.

The scheduled mission represents the second Starship test conducted since SpaceX completed its initial public offering in June, which stood as the largest IPO in history. The previous test flight took place in July, when SpaceX deployed non-operational V3 Starlink units to evaluate release mechanisms. Those test units re-entered Earth's atmosphere and burned up roughly 20 minutes after deployment.

Reaching Earth's orbit is a major milestone for SpaceX's long-term operational plans. Founder and Chief Executive Elon Musk has stated that the company intends to retire its Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy launch systems once Starship can maintain a launch cadence of several flights per week. The transition is designed to save engineering and production resources while fulfilling the heavy launch schedule outlined to investors during the public listing.

Flight 14 will evaluate orbital insertion rather than full vehicle recovery. Musk recently reversed course on previous indications that SpaceX might attempt to catch the upper stage with its launch tower during this flight, citing the risk that an explosion could severely delay the program's timeline.

SpaceX will also refrain from trying to capture the Super Heavy booster on this flight. The booster experienced difficulties during Flight 13 in July, when its engines failed to properly re-light following stage separation. The company stated Tuesday that it implemented a series of hardware and software updates to rectify the issues observed on the previous mission.

The upper stage demonstrated better results on Flight 13. While it did not enter orbit, the vehicle executed a controlled splashdown in the Indian Ocean and remained intact after tipping into the water. SpaceX recovered the hardware and towed it back to its Texas facility, using data from the salvaged unit to make additional modifications to Starship's heat shield ahead of the Sept. 22 launch.