According to Kiko Dontchev, VP of Launch at SpaceX, the Starship will soon be launching from NASA Kennedy Space Centre. SpaceX has been developing its Starship, which is designed to travel to Mars. Currently, the space firm has performed a total of 11 test launches since 2023 for this spacecraft, but all launches have taken place at the SpaceX launch site in Boca Chica, Texas.
The 12th Starship launch is scheduled to take place from Texas and is expected to occur as soon as January. This launch will be the first launch for the upcoming V3 (version 3) Starship, and preparations for this launch are already ongoing.
Soon after this launch from Texas, the V3 Starship will then proceed to launch from the NASA Kennedy Space Centre in Florida. While this launch is expected to happen in 2026, the final Space Force and Federal Aviation Administration Environmental Impact Statements need to be issued to greenlight it. These statements are expected be released by the end of the year and will address some concerns surrounding the SpaceX Starship launch. Also, during this launch, SpaceX might demonstrate on-orbit refuelling, showing that the Starship is ready for the NASA lunar mission.
SpaceX Is Gearing Up For The Coming NASA Lunar Mission
The US and China are currently in a race to the Moon, with the latter preparing for a crewed lunar mission by 2030. To drive its goals to return humans to the Moon, NASA is looking to SpaceX and Blue Origin.
Both space firms are working on landers that will be used in the coming NASA lunar mission. With the coming Starship launch from Florida planned for next year, SpaceX might just edge closer to taking humans to the Moon and leading future Mars exploration missions.