SpaceX's next Starship launch is Sept. 22, aims to reach orbit for first time
SMRTR summary
Six days from now, a 40-story rocket could rewrite the rules of space travel.
SpaceX has announced that Starship, its fully reusable megarocket, will attempt its first orbital flight on September 22nd, launching from South Texas during a window that opens at 8:15 in the morning Eastern time.
This will be Flight 14 for Starship, but the first to actually circle Earth. The vehicle will complete six orbits before splashing down in the Pacific Ocean west of Chile, roughly ten hours after liftoff.
The mission carries real-world cargo: 26 next-generation Starlink V3 satellites, the most capable SpaceX has ever built, designed to dramatically expand global internet speeds and reliability.
Three of those satellites will double as camera platforms, photographing Starship's heat shield from orbit, data SpaceX needs to refine the vehicle's fiery atmospheric re-entry.
No dramatic tower catch is planned this time. That milestone, along with in-orbit refueling, awaits future flights.
SMRTR provides this summary for quick context. The original article belongs to Hacker News.
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