In January 2026, Elon Musk announced that the Starship V3’s first flight would be in 6 weeks (mid-March), but that didn’t happen, and it is now announced that the first flight of Starship Version 3 will be in about 4 weeks (early April).
Starship V3 first flight in about 4 weeks
pic.twitter.com/wvCkw5mjH0— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 7, 2026
The flight will be the 12th overall for Starship but the first of the bigger and more powerful “Version 3” (V3) iteration of the vehicle.
The Starship spacecraft of SpaceX, as already known, is the largest and most powerful rocket made by humanity, and its primary goal is to help in colonising Mars. It stands 122 meters tall, and is made out of stainless steel with two major parts: the upper stage spacecraft – ‘Spaceship’ or simply referred to as the ‘Ship’, and the booster that is called ‘Super Heavy’.
It is said that Starship will be able to carry up to 100 people on long-duration, interplanetary flights. It will also help enable satellite delivery, the development of a Moon base, and point-to-point transport here on Earth.
Reportedly, Starship has 11 suborbital test flights under its belt, five of which occurred last year. Last year, Musk also announced that Starship will depart for Mars carrying Optimus at the end of 2026, and if those landings go well, then human landings may start as soon as 2029, although 2031 is more likely.
