Starship is preparing to go to orbit. Flight 14 is targeting to launch as early as Tuesday, September 22, pending regulatory approval → https://t.co/LwJ4g6dg9v https://t.co/Ds0aGWpT9V
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) September 15, 2026
SpaceX plans to conduct Starship’s first orbital test flight on September 22. The mission will be the 14th integrated test flight of the Starship launch system and represents a major progression from previous suborbital demonstrations.
SpaceX plans for Starship’s upper stage to reach an altitude of approximately 275 kilometers, complete about six orbits around Earth and conduct a controlled splashdown in the Pacific Ocean west of Chile.
The mission is expected to last nearly 10 hours. Previous Starship flights remained in space for approximately an hour and followed trajectories that did not complete a full orbit.
SpaceX also plans to deploy 26 Starlink V3 satellites during the flight. That would make the test Starship’s first mission involving the deployment of operational payloads and connect the rocket’s development directly with the expansion of SpaceX’s satellite-internet network.
The launch remains subject to final regulatory approval. SpaceX has not confirmed that it will attempt to recover either stage using its launch tower.
The Super Heavy booster is expected to separate from Starship and perform a controlled splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico. The upper stage will complete its planned orbits before testing an in-space deorbit burn and atmospheric reentry.
Reaching orbit would represent an important milestone for a program that has experienced multiple launch failures and extensive design changes. SpaceX recovered the upper stage from its previous test, giving engineers an unusual opportunity to inspect the vehicle and evaluate the performance of its heat shield.
The company subsequently made additional changes to the thermal-protection system, engines, software and Super Heavy booster.
Starship is intended to become a fully reusable launch system capable of carrying substantially larger payloads than SpaceX’s Falcon rockets. Elon Musk has said SpaceX eventually expects Starship to replace Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy once the new vehicle can operate reliably and frequently.
That transition could reduce launch costs while allowing SpaceX to deploy larger Starlink satellites, support lunar missions and pursue future transportation to Mars.
The orbital test will be particularly important for Starlink because the third-generation satellites are significantly larger and more capable than earlier versions. Starship’s payload capacity is expected to allow SpaceX to deploy more network capacity per launch than is possible with Falcon 9.
A successful mission would not establish full reusability, and additional testing would still be required before routine commercial service begins. SpaceX must demonstrate dependable orbital insertion, reentry, landing and rapid refurbishment.
However, completing several orbits and deploying Starlink satellites would move Starship beyond experimental suborbital testing and significantly closer to becoming an operational part of SpaceX’s launch business.
