SpaceX Starship to attempt first orbit and deploy 26 Starlink satellites

SpaceX will attempt to send its massive Starship rocket into orbit for the first time on Monday, marking a major milestone after years of test flights.

According to CNN, Starship is expected to lift off from Texas during a 75-minute launch window beginning at 8:15 AM ET. If successful, the spacecraft will deploy 26 next-generation Starlink internet satellites.

The mission will be Starship’s 14th major test flight and could last nearly 10 hours, with the spacecraft completing six trips around Earth before attempting a controlled landing in the Pacific Ocean off Chile.

Previous Starship flights followed suborbital paths designed to bring the spacecraft back towards Earth even if control was lost.

Reaching orbit introduces new risks because an uncontrolled Starship could remain in space and potentially threaten satellites.

“There’s so many things that can go wrong,” aerospace engineering professor Joseph Gonzalez told CNN.

SpaceX plans to spend about 20 minutes checking the spacecraft’s systems before committing it to orbit.

The flight will also test improvements to Starship’s engines and heat shield, which must withstand temperatures potentially exceeding 1,370C during re-entry.