Suborbital demonstration with new payload
The spaceflight company SpaceX intends to conduct a suborbital flight using its Starship and Super Heavy launch vehicle, marking the inaugural deployment of Starlink satellites belonging to the V3 series. The operation will also serve to validate several modifications to the rocket that are designed to bring the system nearer to complete reusability.
Liftoff is to occur from launch complex 2 at the Starbase facility in Texas. A 90-minute launch window has been defined, opening at 5:45 p.m. local Central Daylight Time, which is 6:45 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time and 22:45 Coordinated Universal Time.
Mission objectives
- First carriage and deployment of Starlink V3 satellites
- Demonstration of launcher upgrades
- Progress toward full reuse of the vehicle
- Suborbital profile test of Starship-Super Heavy
No details were provided in the source material regarding the precise number of V3 satellites on board or the specific nature of the technical changes to the launch system. The current focus of the effort is the combined goal of payload verification and launcher development.