SpaceX schedules Starship's first orbital launch, aiming to deploy 26 satellites

SpaceX revealed that its flagship Starship will attempt an orbital flight on Sept. 22, with liftoff scheduled from a Texas launch site at 7:15 am local time. This test marks the 14th flight of the vehicle but the first to follow a true orbital trajectory, a step SpaceX says is needed to develop rapid reusability. The company noted that prior flights were deliberately limited to sub-orbital arcs to protect the public.

In addition to the flight itself, the mission will deploy 26 Starlink communications satellites. Although earlier Starship tests have ended in explosions, the most recent July attempt was largely successful, and the company still must demonstrate capabilities such as in-space refueling before commercial or deep-space missions can proceed.