Sep 28, Kathmandu - SpaceX is set to conduct Starship’s 14th test flight on Monday, aiming to send the massive rocket into Earth orbit for the first time. Reaching orbit would mark a major milestone for the spacecraft, which is being developed for future missions to the Moon and Mars.

The roughly 10-hour test is expected to launch from Texas at 7:15 a.m. local time (12:15 GMT). SpaceX plans to place Starship’s upper stage in orbit and deploy 26 next-generation Starlink satellites. Previous test flights have ended in explosions, making the mission a significant challenge.

SpaceX began flying Starship in its full configuration in 2023. Earlier tests followed suborbital trajectories; this flight will attempt a second engine ignition to push the spacecraft into orbit.

Kathleen Curley, a senior analyst at Georgetown University, said achieving orbit is the most difficult part of the test because it requires additional power and complex calculations. SpaceX says the spacecraft must reach about 28,000 kilometres per hour to enter a circular orbit roughly 275 kilometres above Earth.

After deploying the satellites, Starship is expected to orbit Earth six times before ending its flight in the Pacific Ocean. The Super Heavy booster is planned to splash down in the Gulf of Mexico.

SpaceX aims to make Starship fully reusable, but technical challenges remain before it can support commercial flights and missions to the Moon or Mars. Meanwhile, a Chinese company is also making progress on a reusable rocket.

SpaceX continues to dominate the global launch market with its partially reusable Falcon rockets. The company plans three more launches later this week, including a mission to carry astronauts to the International Space Station.