SpaceX Targets Late September for Starship's First Orbital Flight
SpaceX has announced September 28 as the target date for Starship's inaugural orbital flight test. If successful, this mission would mark the first time the world's largest and most powerful rocket completes a full orbit around Earth.
The upcoming test, designated as Starship's 14th flight, is planned to remain in orbit for approximately 10 hours, completing multiple revolutions around the planet before a planned descent. This duration represents a substantial increase in complexity compared to previous suborbital test flights, which typically lasted under 30 minutes.
The orbital flight attempt follows years of development and multiple testing campaigns for the fully reusable Super Heavy booster and Starship upper stage. SpaceX has been progressively increasing mission objectives with each test flight, building toward the full orbital capability needed for NASA's Artemis lunar landing missions and future deep space missions.
As the date approaches, SpaceX continues pre-flight preparations at its Starbase facility in Boca Chica, Texas.