SpaceX set for Starship's first orbital flight with Starlink V3 payload
SpaceX is preparing to send its Starship-Super Heavy vehicle into orbit for the first time on Sept. 28, 2026, carrying 26 Starlink Version 3 satellites. Liftoff from Pad 2 at Starbase, Texas, is planned within a 75-minute window opening at 7:15 a.m. CDT. If the ascent and initial coast proceed as expected, the upper stage will relight an engine about 25 minutes after launch to circularize its path, then begin deploying the satellites roughly 34 minutes after liftoff.
This flight would mark the first time SpaceX sends its combined Starship and Super Heavy stack onto an orbital path, after thirteen earlier integrated tests flew suborbital trajectories. The vehicle is 124 meters tall, and the mission is called Starlink 31-1. Booster B21 and Ship S41 are expendable on this attempt, with no recovery planned.
If the coast phase goes well, Ship 41 will restart one Raptor engine around 25 minutes after launch to circularize its orbit. Deployment of 26 Starlink V3 satellites would then begin near 34 minutes, lasting about 30 minutes, with releases roughly each minute. Three satellites carry extra imaging gear to record heat shield tiles.
A successful orbital Starship flight could affect satellite broadband users, launch industry, and space researchers by signaling larger payload capacity and faster Starlink deployment. It may also influence how quickly next-generation internet coverage reaches remote areas, while testing reentry and deployment techniques that could shape future crewed or cargo missions. If problems occur, they may slow SpaceX's schedule and raise questions about orbital debris and launch cadence.