Elon Musk’s SpaceX To Launch Starship First Orbital Flight in July, Gwynne Shotwell Says

SpaceX's president Gwynne Shotwell said the corporation is "shooting for July" to launch its first Starship rocket into orbit.

Shotwell said they are trying to make it at the National Space Society's International Space Development Conference on Friday. She did, however, recognize the difficulties they are facing.

"We are really on the cusp of flying that system, or at least attempting the first orbital flight of that system, really in the very near term," she said per SpaceNews.

SpaceX Starship Orbital Test Flight

According to CNBC, SpaceX plans to launch its first Starship into orbit next month. However, this is contingent on everything going according to plan.

It will be launched from SpaceX's Texas facility whenever the trip takes place, with the Super Heavy launcher and the Starship spaceship. If the corporation meets its objective, the Starship vessel will be completely reusable, with advantages such as the capacity to undertake launches quickly.

Although the orbital trip will be uncrewed, SlashGear said the idea is to use Starship to transport astronauts and cargo on missions to the Moon and, eventually, Mars. SpaceX's Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy will be joined by Starship, demonstrating the company's growing competence in the commercial space business.

Starship Mission Details

Business Insider said SpaceX has yet to secure the necessary governmental permissions for such a launch.

Because of ongoing studies of wildlife and ecosystems around the launch area, a source told CNN in June that the corporation may have to postpone its orbital mission scheduled for next month.

According to the source, the regulatory evaluations would award SpaceX a launch license, which the Federal Aviation Administration would need to approve.

Space News said SpaceX's current license only enables suborbital flights of the Starship rocket.

The studies must guarantee that the Starship-Super Heavy system would not harm neighboring species or ecosystems near its launch pad in Boca Chica, Texas — which, as Business Insider previously reported, will not be completed in time for an early July launch.

SpaceX may then eventually need to secure a new environmental impact assessment, which may take up to three years to complete.

Space News said Shotwell made no mention of the licensing and environmental review process at the conference. However, she said she never likes to predict dates since we will still be in development — but very soon.

SpaceX Starship Launch Date and Where to Watch

The exact date of the launch is yet to be announced. The FAA has failed to respond to the application. Although they requested a flight plan and a six-month window.

As with all of the company's launches, SpaceX would announce the launch on the company's social media platforms and websites.

SpaceX also broadcasts live streams of their launches on their YouTube channel and its website. In addition, you can see replays of previous launches on both platforms.

Check out more news and information on SpaceX on Science Times.