SpaceX is preparing to launch the next test flight of the Starship vehicle on September 22, a mission that is expected to put the vehicle into orbit for the first time and deploy the first batch of Starlink V3 satellites.
The fourteenth test flight of Starship will represent a major leap in the development of the rocket compared to its last test last July, which transported the vehicle on a suborbital path into space before returning it to Earth without completing a full orbital cycle.
The company plans to place Starship in orbit around Earth, which is an important achievement that will allow it to test the vehicle on a longer-term flight and deploy the first batch of “Starlink V3” satellites.
The mission, which is awaiting regulatory approval, is expected to last approximately 10 hours, as Starship will fly approximately 275 kilometers above Earth and complete about 6 orbital cycles before landing in the Pacific Ocean west of Chile.
