SpaceX Targets Starship's First Orbital Flight Today: The Crucial Test the Rocket Has Yet to Pass

SpaceX is targeting 28 September for Starship’s first orbital flight, with Flight 14 intended to deploy 26 Starlink V3 satellites. (Credit: SpaceX)

SpaceX is targeting Monday, 28 September, for Starship's first flight into Earth orbit, a milestone that would move the rocket beyond its earlier suborbital tests and towards deploying working satellite payloads.

SpaceX is targeting liftoff from Starbase in Texas during a 75-minute window opening at 7:15am CDT (1:15pm BST) on 28 September. The 75-minute window runs until 2:30pm BST, although the published schedule remains a target rather than a guarantee of liftoff.