Musk Targets at Least Two Starship Flights a Week in Late 2027

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk expects Starship to fly at least twice a week in the second half of 2027, a goal tied to making the rocket system rapidly and fully reusable.

Musk outlined the target during SpaceX’s third-quarter earnings webcast Oct. 20. He expects Starship to reach weekly flights sometime in the first half of 2027 and said flights could become more frequent by the end of that year.

The company’s next planned test concerns recovery. SpaceX intends to try to recover both the booster and the spacecraft on Starship’s 15th test flight, expected in November 2026. Musk said a successful attempt would mark the first full recovery of an orbital launch vehicle.

SpaceX’s plan to catch both stages on Flight 15 calls for the launch tower’s mechanical arms to capture the Super Heavy booster and the upper stage, known as Ship. The test flight is expected in November.