SpaceX plans to launch its Starship rocket early Monday, with a 75-minute launch window starting at 8:15 a.m. ET from Starbase, Texas. The Federal Aviation Administration granted a license for this launch on September 26. This 14th test flight is significant as it aims to achieve orbital flight, a milestone not reached in the previous 13 tests.
Alongside the Starship launch, SpaceX will deploy 26 new Starlink V3 satellites, which are designed to be more powerful and efficient than earlier models. Starlink is currently SpaceX's largest and only profitable segment, and Elon Musk has indicated that it could potentially provide a majority of the world's internet in many countries.
SpaceX, valued at approximately $2 trillion following its record IPO in June, is also preparing for a major NASA test flight next year and plans to use Starship for future missions, including launching AI compute satellites into orbit by 2027.
The success of this launch could enhance SpaceX's competitive edge in the satellite internet market, where it currently operates around 11,000 satellites, far surpassing competitors like Eutelsat and OneWeb