SpaceX Starship's first orbital flight test on track after successful launch rehearsal

SpaceX has successfully conducted a wet dress rehearsal for Starship, making sure it's in working condition for its next test flight that's bound to become a major milestone for the vehicle if everything goes according to plan. "Launch rehearsal complete ahead of Starship Flight 14," the company has announced on X.

In a wet dress rehearsal , the rocket goes through a full launch simulation. It's loaded with liquid propellants and powered on before it goes through final checks to ensure its fuel lines, software and communications with the ground team are all working. The launch team even runs it through the full countdown sequence, demonstrates procedures for scrubbing launches in the event of poor weather conditions and then drains the fuel to simulate offload procedures. In other words, the rocket goes through the whole launch sequence without actually lifting off.

With the success of this rehearsal, Starship is on track to launch for its 14th test flight scheduled for September 28, with a 75-minute launch window opening at 8:15AM Eastern Time. It will be the vehicle's first orbital flight after multiple suborbital tests. Starship will be orbiting our planet six times within the course of 10 hours before re-entering our atmosphere and crashing into the ocean. It will also ferry 26 Starlink V3 satellites to orbit, which will be the first next-gen models to be added to SpaceX's satellite internet constellation. You'll be able to watch the Starship launch on September 28 on X .

Launch rehearsal complete ahead of Starship Flight 14 pic.twitter.com/h5LBYyBqi4