SpaceX Targets 2026 Launch for Heavy-Lift Reusable Starship

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk announced that the company plans to launch a new version of its Starship rocket by 2026. The updated model, Starship Version 3, will be fully reusable and capable of delivering over 100 metric tons of payload to orbit. 

“There is only one booster and one Version 2 ship left,” Musk said. “After that, we move to Version 3, which is a massive upgrade.” This year, SpaceX faced development setbacks, including two Starship test flights that ended in explosions, but a successful test last month marked a key milestone. The current Version 2 allows recovery of the booster only and has a payload capacity of about 35 tons.

On Aug. 26, SpaceX completed its 10th full-scale test flight of the Super Heavy booster and Starship upper stage from Starbase, Texas. The flight lasted over an hour and ended in a controlled splashdown in the Indian Ocean. Bill Gerstenmaier, SpaceX VP of Build and Flight Reliability, said on Sept. 8 that “things went extremely well,” noting progress from previous tests.

Starship landed within 10 feet of its target, flipping upright using three of its six Raptor engines before splashdown. Some damage occurred to the rear and flaps, while a rust-colored streak along the side resulted from oxidation of metallic heat shield tiles being tested alongside ceramic ones.

“Unless we experience significant setbacks, SpaceX will demonstrate full reusability next year—capturing both the booster and the ship—and deliver over 100 tons to a useful orbit,” Musk stated. Full reusability would represent a major operational shift; to date, SpaceX has not successfully reused a full Starship system.

Musk also discussed plans to expand Starlink, with SpaceX agreeing on Sept. 8 to acquire wireless spectrum from EchoStar Corp. for about US$17 billion. The move aims to provide Starlink connectivity directly to mobile phones and other devices. Musk noted that devices could be ready within two years, requiring collaboration with phone manufacturers and additional satellites to support the service.

SpaceX envisions Starship as central to its long-term strategy, including reducing launch costs and enabling large-scale payload deployment. The rocket is also slated to serve as NASA’s human landing system for Artemis 3, targeted for 2027. However, technical challenges and development delays leave the Artemis timeline subject to adjustment.

According to Space X, establishing a self-sustaining city on Mars will require transporting one million people and millions of tonnes of cargo through thousands of Starship launches, timed to planetary alignment windows occurring roughly every 26 months.