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Science and technology
SpaceX to launch Starship Super Heavy on key maiden orbital flight on this date
Starship is preparing for its most ambitious test yet, with SpaceX targeting an orbital flight and the deployment of Starlink V3 satellites.
SpaceX is ready to take Starship Super Booster a step further.
The company is targeting September 22 for Flight 14, a mission that could send the world's most powerful rocket into orbit around Earth for the first time.
The launch window is scheduled to open at 5:45 pm IST from SpaceX's Starbase facility in Texas, although the flight is still subject to regulatory approval.
If it goes ahead, Flight 14 will mark a major change in the Starship test programme.
The first 13 flights followed suborbital paths, meaning they reached space but did not enter an orbit around Earth.
This time, SpaceX wants Starship to complete roughly six trips around the planet before splashing down in the Pacific Ocean west of Chile.
Starship, a giant and powerful rocket, is made up of two parts; the Super Heavy booster, which provides the power to leave Earth, and the Starship spacecraft on top, which continues the journey into space.
The upcoming mission is expected to fly at an altitude of about 275 km and last nearly 10 hours.
The spacecraft is then planned to re-enter Earth's atmosphere and splash down in the Pacific.
For SpaceX, getting Starship into orbit is about more than simply reaching a new altitude.
The test will also put several critical parts of the system through their paces, including launch, ascent, separation of the two stages and the booster's return manoeuvre.
Flight 14 also has a payload; a batch of Starlink V3 satellites.
SpaceX plans to deploy up to 26 of the next-generation satellites during the mission. According to the space company, the larger V3 satellites are designed to significantly increase Starlink's capacity and reliability.
"This will also mark the first time we plan to deploy Starlink V3 satellites into the constellation, delivering a payload that will dramatically expand connectivity speeds and reliability around the world," SpaceX said.
The mission is therefore a crucial test of two things at once, shining light on whether Starship can reach orbit and whether it can begin the journey towards becoming a rapidly reusable launch system.
For now, September 22 remains only a target as the real milestone will come only if Starship can make the trip and return as planned.
