SpaceX's Starship is about to attempt a 10-hour spaceflight: Watch live.
SpaceX is preparing for its 14th Starship test flight, which aims to achieve orbital velocity for the first time. This mission is a critical step in the company's goal to develop a fully reusable rocket for cargo transport and future human missions to Mars.
Why it matters
Successful orbital flight for Starship would significantly lower the cost of space travel and accelerate NASA's Artemis moon missions and long-term Mars colonization plans.
After more than 40 months of test flights, SpaceX will attempt to put its mammoth Starship into orbit around Earth for the first time and bring it back for a safe landing - 10 hours later. The company, founded by billionaire Elon Musk, plans to launch the rocket from its private pad in Starbase, Texas, as early as 8:15 a.m. ET on Monday, Sept. 28. Prior flights that have reached space have only flown straight up and down, meaning gravity has naturally pulled Starship back toward the ground like a tossed ball. But to stay in space, it must instead fly sideways at 17,500 mph. At that staggering speed, the spacecraft is still "falling" toward the ground, but Earth's surface is curving away at the exact same rate. That's what allows the spacecraft to continuously stay in space without ever crashing back to the planet.
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