The first Starship test flight of 2026 is scheduled for as soon as early March as SpaceX enters a critical year in the vehicle’s development.

SpaceX is preparing to roll out its most ambitious iteration of Starship yet, a towering combination of spacecraft and booster that is intended to fly higher, faster, and more efficiently than any previous version.

SpaceX Ship 39 is in the final stages of outfitting in Mega Bay 2 at Starbase. Recent progress includes the installation of aft flaps. This

SpaceX is gearing up to debut Starship’s Version 3, testing the upgraded rocket’s ability to reach orbit for the first time as the company races to fly missions to the Moon and Mars. SpaceX CEO and founder Elon Musk announced on X that Starship’s upcoming launch is in six weeks,

SpaceX’s Starship plans at Kennedy Space Center can move forward after the FAA released its final Environmental Impact Statement and Record of Decision.

The launch date had been up in the air after the rocket's booster stage suffered an explosion during testing in November.

Based on the current approval path, SpaceX is set to have the capacity to launch Starship 146 times a year from its sites at 39A, SLC-37, and Starbase. The overview notes LC-39A’s location offers favorable over-ocean trajectories, existing infrastructure, and proximity to established spaceport resources.

As if flying commercial planes wasn’t stressful enough already, airlines are facing major safety issues because of SpaceX rocket explosions.