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.

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

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,

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.

The commander of the military unit responsible for running the Cape Canaveral spaceport in Florida expects SpaceX to begin launching Starship rockets there next year. Launch companies with facilities near SpaceX’s Starship pads are not pleased.