SpaceX Targets First Orbital Spaceflight for Starship

Los Angeles (ANTARA) - SpaceX plans to send its giant Starship rocket into Earth’s orbit for the first time during its 14th flight test, scheduled to take place on Tuesday (22/9), the company revealed on Tuesday (15/9).

According to the SpaceX website, the launch window is scheduled to begin at 07:15 Central Time (19:15 WIB) and last for 75 minutes, though it is currently awaiting regulatory approval. The launch is planned to be conducted from SpaceX’s Starbase facility in the State of Texas, USA.

This maiden orbital mission of Starship is expected to fly at an altitude of approximately 275 km above Earth, completing roughly six orbits around the planet, and lasting nearly 10 hours before landing in the Pacific Ocean, west of Chile.

Starship will also deliver 26 Starlink V3 satellites to orbit for the first time. These satellites are designed to significantly increase network capacity and speed for users, the company stated.

Once released, the satellites will deploy their antennas and solar panels, and establish initial contact with Earth stations and other parts of the Starlink constellation via radio frequency and laser links.

According to SpaceX, the primary objectives of the booster test for Flight 14 include launch, ascent, stage separation, boostback burn manoeuvres, and the landing burn process at an offshore landing site in the Gulf of Mexico.

The company stated that it has implemented several hardware and software modifications to address issues identified during previous flights.

On 24 July, SpaceX conducted the 13th flight test of its Starship system. That flight achieved several significant milestones, including the first deployment of the latest generation of Starlink V3 satellites and successful engine relight tests in space.