SpaceX’s Starship has cleared a significant milestone ahead of its upcoming orbital flight scheduled for September 28. The company has successfully completed a wet dress rehearsal (WDR), which simulates the fueling process and launch day procedures without igniting the engines. This will be Starship’s 14th test flight and is designed to take the rocket further than ever before.
During this mission, the vehicle’s upper-stage, known as Ship, will reach orbital velocity and deploy 26 Starlink Version 3 satellites. These satellites are part of an ambitious plan for a future constellation of up to 100,000 advanced spacecraft. After completing its six orbits around Earth, the Ship will splash down in the Pacific Ocean, while the first-stage booster, Super Heavy, will land in the Gulf of Mexico shortly after launch.
SpaceX aims to innovate further by catching both the Ship and Super Heavy back at the launch pad using its unique “chopstick” system. Starship’s flight is set to start at 8:15 a.m. EDT, and viewers can watch the entire event live through Space.com, as the company plans to stream all of Ship’s orbits and the splashdown.
