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SpaceX Targets First Starship Starlink V3 Orbital Flight in 2026

By Drooid · Sep 28, 2026, 2:19 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

SpaceX Launches Starship

SpaceX will attempt the first orbital flight of its Starship rocket on September 28, 2026.
Starship will carry 26 operational Starlink Version 3 satellites, the first of the new megaconstellation.
About 25 minutes after liftoff, Starship will fire a Raptor engine for a 19-second orbital insertion burn.
Starship will complete six Earth orbits at roughly 275 km altitude before deploying satellites over a 30-minute period.

Summary

SpaceX Announces $2T IPO

SpaceX’s June IPO valued the company at roughly $2 trillion, making it the largest public offering on record.
CFO Bret Johnsen said Flight 14 is Starship’s first revenue-generating mission.
Each V3 Starlink satellite supports a 1-terabyte-per-second downlink, ten times faster than V2 mini models.
SpaceX plans to deploy 100,000 Starlink satellites, up from about 11,000 today.

Summary

SpaceX Gets FAA Clearance

The Federal Aviation Administration granted launch approval on September 26, 2026, clearing the test flight.
A full wet-dress rehearsal on September 24, 2026 confirmed fueling and countdown procedures.
Two heat-shield tiles recovered from Ship 40 were installed on Ship 41, marking the first tile reuse.
Engine-filter upgrades on Booster 21 aim to prevent ice-clogging that halted boost-back on Flight 13.
Ship 41 will carry three Starlink V3 satellites equipped with cameras to monitor heat-tile condition during flight.

History

Historical Context

On December 21, 2015, SpaceX successfully landed the first stage of its Falcon 9 rocket, marking the inaugural reuse of an orbital launch vehicle. The mission, overseen by Elon Musk’s company, carried a 10-ton payload and demonstrated a 30-percent cost reduction for subsequent flights. Today, SpaceX’s Starship seeks to echo that breakthrough by launching on September 28, 2026, deploying 26 V3 Starlink satellites with FAA clearance. If successful, the reusable Starship could slash launch costs by up to 90 percent, accelerating the planned 100,000-satellite constellation and reshaping global broadband access.

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SpaceX Launches Starship

SpaceX will attempt the first orbital flight of its Starship rocket on September 28, 2026.
Starship will carry 26 operational Starlink Version 3 satellites, the first of the new megaconstellation.
About 25 minutes after liftoff, Starship will fire a Raptor engine for a 19-second orbital insertion burn.
Starship will complete six Earth orbits at roughly 275 km altitude before deploying satellites over a 30-minute period.

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