Elon Musk says 1st Starship orbit test flight slated for January

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — SpaceX is aiming to launch its futuristic, bullet-shaped Starship to orbit in January.

SpaceX founder and Chief Executive Elon Musk provided the update Wednesday night during a space science conference.

Musk isn’t betting on success for that first test flight. But he says he’s confident Starship will make it to orbit sometime in 2022, and that a dozen or so orbital test flights are planned next year from Texas.

SpaceX would then start launching valuable satellites and other payloads in 2023.

Starship and its mega booster will be the biggest rocket ever to fly, towering nearly 400 feet.

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