SpaceX Starship Set for Orbital Test in Major Step Toward Moon and Mars Missions

SpaceX is preparing for a major test of its Starship rocket on Monday, three years after the vehicle first flew, with the company aiming to send the spacecraft into Earth orbit for the first time.

The 14th Starship test flight is scheduled to begin from SpaceX’s launch site in Texas at 7:15am local time, or 1215 GMT. The test is expected to last about 10 hours and will include several ambitious objectives as the company continues developing the vehicle for future missions to the Moon and Mars.

During the flight, Starship’s upper stage will initially follow a suborbital path before attempting a second engine burn to enter orbit. If successful, the spacecraft will reach a circular orbit about 275 kilometres above Earth at a speed of roughly 28,000 kilometres per hour.

The spacecraft is also expected to deploy 26 next-generation Starlink satellites, adding to SpaceX’s rapidly expanding satellite internet network.

Reaching orbit represents a significant technical challenge. Kathleen Curlee, a senior analyst at Georgetown University’s Center for Security and Emerging Technology, said the orbital manoeuvre would require more complex calculations and expose the spacecraft to changing gravitational forces.

SpaceX has been developing and testing Starship in Texas for years. Since beginning full-configuration flights in 2023, the company has deliberately used suborbital trajectories in several tests, allowing engineers to gather data while reducing some of the risks associated with orbital missions.

The vehicle has undergone numerous modifications during that period. Starship is designed to become fully reusable, a capability SpaceX hopes will eventually reduce launch costs and support regular missions beyond Earth.

The latest test is intended to begin what SpaceX has described as a new phase of development, including future tests of transferring fuel between spacecraft while in orbit. Such technology would be important for longer missions because spacecraft travelling to the Moon or Mars could require additional fuel after leaving Earth.

The flight plan calls for Starship to orbit Earth six times before making a controlled descent into the Pacific Ocean. The Super Heavy booster, which provides the initial thrust, is expected to fall into the Gulf of Mexico shortly after launch. SpaceX does not plan to attempt a mechanical catch of the booster during this test.

Previous Starship flights have ended in explosions or other failures, although each test has provided engineers with additional data for subsequent modifications.

Curlee said that from an engineering perspective, completing the flight and collecting useful information would represent an important outcome. Public expectations, however, are likely to be higher because of the visibility surrounding SpaceX and its founder Elon Musk.

Starship’s development has faced repeated delays, while companies in China have also been advancing reusable rocket technology. SpaceX nevertheless remains a major force in the global launch market through its partially reusable Falcon rocket programme.

The Starship test will be followed by several other SpaceX launches during the same week, including a mission carrying astronauts to the International Space Station.