SpaceX targets first Starship orbital test on September 22

Read a summary of this article on FAST.
Get bite-sized news via a new
cards interface. Give it a try.
Click here to return to FAST Tap here to return to FAST
FAST

Sept 15 : SpaceX said on Tuesday it was preparing to launch its next Starship flight test as soon as September 22, a mission expected to send the vehicle into orbit for the first time and deploy Starlink V3 satellites.

Starship's 14th test flight would mark a major leap in the rocket's development over its last test in July, which flew a suborbital trajectory that took the spacecraft into space before returning it to Earth without completing an orbit.

The company plans to place Starship into orbit around Earth, a milestone that would allow it to test the vehicle over a longer-duration flight and deploy the first batch of Starlink V3 satellites.

The mission, pending regulatory approval, is expected to last nearly 10 hours, with Starship flying about 275 km above Earth and completing about six orbits before splashing down in the Pacific Ocean west of Chile.

SpaceX plans to test the booster's launch, separation, boostback and splashdown procedures, advancing the company toward its goal of a fully reusable orbital launch system.

Newsletter

Week in Review

Subscribe to our Chief Editor’s Week in Review

Our chief editor shares analysis and picks of the week's biggest news every Saturday.

Sign up for our newsletters

Get our pick of top stories and thought-provoking articles in your inbox

Subscribe here

Get the CNA app

Stay updated with notifications for breaking news and our best stories

Download here

Get WhatsApp alerts

Join our channel for the top reads for the day on your preferred chat app

Join here