Future Timeline

In the first three months of the year, SpaceX has 20 successful orbital launches. This would be more than all countries other than China or Russia have done in the past 25 years. Russia only rarely has more than 20 launches per year.

SpaceX and China were roughly tied in 2022 with 61 and 62 orbital launches but SpaceX had more payload. Combined SpaceX and China were 80% of orbital launches in 2022. SpaceX is on pace to double its launches in 2023. Elon indicates that SpaceX should deliver 80% of all of the payloads in 2023. This is even without the Super Heavy Starship getting into operation.

Super Heavy Starship will eventually have more frequent launches and each launch will have five to ten times the payload.

Felix at What About It reports that the FAA advisory notice has April 17 as the primary launch date for the SpaceX Starship Super Heavy orbital launch attempt. There are back dates from April 18-21. If the final approvals come in as expected and SpaceX goes on schedule it will be morning launch on Monday.

There would need to be wet rehearsal today or tomorrow.

The booster would drop into the Gulf of Mexico after a landing tower simulation hover.

SpaceX has cleared the final regulatory hurdle standing before the inaugural launch of its Starship rocket — the most powerful rocket ever constructed.

The Federal Aviation Administration, which licenses commercial rocket launches, announced Friday that it granted the company’s request for an uncrewed flight test of the rocket out of the SpaceX facilities in South Texas. The vehicle, which has already undergone preflight ground testing, is poised to take off as soon as Monday.