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SpaceX pushes next Starship test flight from April to May, Musk says

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk said the company's next Starship test flight has slipped from April to May, delaying the orbital test campaign by roughly one month. SpaceX did not provide a detailed reason for the postponement or a firm launch date.

Discovered 2026-04-03T11:10:36.264127-07:00 | 2026-04-03T11:10:36.264127-07:00

Briefing

What Hype is tracking

  • A one-month slip moves the next Starship orbital test from April to May, changing near‑term heavy‑lift test cadence; SpaceX had previously targeted a mid‑March V3 maiden flight (mid‑March V3 target).
  • The delay follows recent ground campaign activity — including Pad 2 activation and a Super Heavy V3 hot‑fire and extended Super Heavy cryoproof testing that prepared Booster 19 and Ship 39 for an imminent flight.
  • Schedule shifts have direct implications for NASA timelines after the agency moved a lunar‑orbit propulsion role to Starship, creating potential coordination pressure between SpaceX test cadence and Artemis planning (NASA reassignment).

Reported By

actualidadaeroespacial.com orbitaltoday.com CNA Wall Street Journal haber.aero aviationnews.eu
Sources Tracked
8
First Seen
2026-04-03T11:10:36.264127-07:00
Latest Update
2026-04-05T22:36:39.479042-07:00
Coverage
Space

Sources

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