SpaceX targets Sept. 22 for Starship orbital flight
SpaceX announced Sept. 22 as the target date for Starship's first orbital flight from its Starbase site in South Texas, with a 75-minute launch window opening at 8:15 a.m. EDT. Flight 14 is the vehicle's 14th launch but its first orbital attempt after 13 suborbital flights; it will carry up to 26 Starlink V3 satellites, three of which have cameras to photograph Ship's heat shield. If all goes to plan, Ship will complete six orbits at about 171 miles altitude and splash down in the Pacific west of Chile roughly 10 hours after launch, while Super Heavy will splash down in the Gulf of Mexico.
Starship will attempt its first orbital flight on Sept. 22.
Context
Starship first flew in April 2023 and has had 13 suborbital flights. This flight will be its first attempt to reach orbit. If successful, testing will move toward full reusability and future orbital refueling.
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