▲ Ahead of Starship Launch
SpaceX is set to embark on its 14th test flight on September 28 (local time), aiming to put Starship into Earth's orbit for the first time.
According to U.S. business broadcaster CNBC, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced on September 26 that it has issued a launch and reentry license for the 14th Starship flight.
The launch window opens for 75 minutes starting at 8:15 AM on September 28, based on the local time in Texas, where the company is headquartered.
Originally scheduled for September 22, the flight was delayed by about a week after SpaceX announced via X on September 17 that it would postpone the launch to September 28 "pending regulatory approval."
The specific reason for the delay has not been disclosed.
Starship is scheduled to launch from Starbase in Texas, orbit Earth six times at an altitude of approximately 275 kilometers, and splash down in the Pacific Ocean about 9 hours and 50 minutes after launch.
During this process, it will deploy 26 new Starlink V3 satellites into actual orbit for the first time.
All previous 13 test flights were suborbital flights that did not aim for orbital insertion.
Starship is essential for expanding SpaceX's satellite communications business, which serves as a core growth pillar for the company.
The connectivity division, which includes Starlink, was the company's only profitable business segment in the second quarter.
SpaceX currently operates approximately 11,000 satellites, far outstripping its competitor Eutelsat OneWeb (which has about 650 satellites).
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Elon Musk said during an earnings announcement in August, "It is not out of the question that Starlink could someday provide the majority of the world's internet."
Chief Operating Officer (COO) Gwynne Shotwell also stated at an event earlier this month that SpaceX aims to build "supercomputing in space" using Starship and launch "AI computing satellites" into orbit in 2027.
Following its massive initial public offering (IPO) on the Nasdaq last June, SpaceX's corporate value reaches approximately 2 trillion dollars (approx. 2,700 trillion won).
This flight is expected to serve as a test bed to gauge both the success or failure of Starship's development and the business viability supporting this valuation.
Following major test flights with NASA next year, SpaceX plans to use Starship to send U.S. astronauts back to the Moon.
(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
※
Copying, redistribution, and unauthorized use in AI training are strictly prohibited.