Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (SpaceX), headquartered in the United States, has announced plans to carry out the 14th test launch of its “Starship” super-heavy-lift launch vehicle on September 22. This upcoming test will mark the vehicle’s first attempt to reach Earth orbit and will deploy 26 next-generation “Starlink” V3 satellites. However, the launch is still pending final approval from the relevant regulatory authorities. The launch window opens at 7:15 AM Central Time (8:15 PM Beijing Time) on the 22nd and will remain open for 75 minutes. The rocket is scheduled to lift off from SpaceX’s launch facility in southern Texas.

During the mission, the “Starship” will ascend to an altitude of approximately 275 kilometers, where it will orbit Earth for about 10 hours, completing roughly six full orbits before re-entering the atmosphere and splashing down in the Pacific Ocean, west of Chile. This test flight represents a major milestone in SpaceX’s development of a fully and rapidly reusable launch system for the “Starship,” a key objective in reducing the cost and increasing the frequency of space missions.