Starship

SpaceX requires multi-billion-dollar capital infusions to support the "Golden Dome" missile defense layer and lunar Starship variants.

SpaceX is expected to execute a major test launch of its next-generation Starship vehicle in late March 2026.

Artemis III will launch an Orion spacecraft with a four-person crew to rendezvous and dock in Earth orbit with either SpaceX’s Starship Human Landing System, Blue Origin’s Blue Moon lander, or potentially both.

Artemis III will no longer attempt a lunar landing and will instead launch an Orion spacecraft with a four-person crew to rendezvous and dock in Earth orbit with SpaceX’s Starship Human Landing System, Blue Origin’s Blue Moon lander, or potentially both.

Artemis III will use one or both Moon landers being developed by industry, specifically SpaceX’s Starship and Blue Origin’s Blue Moon, to test operations in lunar orbit.

SpaceX posted on X on 26 February 2026 that the first Starship V3 has left the build site to begin prelaunch testing and included an image of the vehicle in transit.

SpaceX’s X post confirms that Starship V3 has entered a ground verification (prelaunch testing) phase.

The commercial lunar landers in development referenced are SpaceX’s Starship HLS and Blue Origin’s Blue Moon MK2.

The first Starship V3 left the build site to begin prelaunch testing.

The transfer of Starship V3 from the build site to testing facilities indicates completion of its construction phase and entry into a prelaunch verification campaign.

Starship V3 is a new version of SpaceX’s fully reusable Starship system developed for orbital and beyond missions.

SpaceX will pair its Starship launch vehicle with proprietary mid-band spectrum to deploy the planned V3 VLEO satellites.

At an aspirational Starship launch cost of $200 per kilogram, launching a 10,000-kilogram power system represents a $2 million capital expenditure for the power system alone.

Starship is the first vehicle designed for total reuse.

SpaceX controls both launch economics via Starship and satellite mass-production capabilities that could support orbital computing if it becomes viable.

Starlink’s expected launch cadence would likely require no more than one or two Starship launches per week even if Starlink gained hundreds of millions of subscribers.

Rep. Mike Haridopolos expects Starship’s arrival to create additional jobs and opportunities on Florida’s Space Coast.

SpaceX is developing a lunar lander variant of Starship as part of NASA’s Human Landing System program.