SpaceX Sets Timeline: 'Starship' for Starlink Launch by Mid-2027, IPO Prep Underway

Published: Mar 3, 2026 11:54

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According to the UK Financial Times, SpaceX expects its "Starship" to be ready by mid-next year for launching a new generation of "Starlink" satellites. Meanwhile, the company is preparing for a crucial test ahead of an IPO that could value it at as much as $1.5 trillion. At the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, executives from Musk's rocket company provided the clearest timetable yet for the commercial debut of the next-generation rocket. Michael Nichols, SpaceX's Senior Vice President of Starlink Business, stated that the "Starship" will be ready in time to launch the upgraded constellation of Starlink mobile satellites by mid-2027. During a break at the conference, SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell said that the "Starship" test flight is expected to take place within the next four to six weeks. Musk had previously hinted in a social media post in January that the 12th test flight of the "Starship" would occur in early March.

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