SpaceX Targets First Starship Orbital Flight for September 22

SpaceX is preparing for the 14th test flight of its Starship rocket, targeting September 22 for the vehicle's first attempt to reach Earth's orbit. The mission, pending regulatory approval, represents a major milestone for the program, which has absorbed billions of dollars in investment. The launch window is scheduled to open at 7:15 a.m. Central Time and last 75 minutes from SpaceX's Starbase site in South Texas. The primary objective is to place the Starship upper stage into orbit, a step the company says will allow the next phase of developing the vehicle to be fully and rapidly reusable. In addition to the orbital test, the mission will deploy 26 third-generation Starlink V3 satellites. This would mark the first operational payload for Starship and the first time the vehicle generates revenue for SpaceX's launch business, though the revenue comes from another division of the company. Three of the satellites will carry cameras to photograph Starship's heat shield after deployment for study. SpaceX has stated it will not attempt to catch the Starship upper stage or the Super Heavy booster with the launch tower on this flight.