Spaceship | Second Flight Test

Space Systems is targeting a NET July 2026 launch of Spaceship Flight 2, the second integrated flight test of the Spaceship launch system. A live webcast is expected to begin on YouTube and X approximately 35 minutes prior to liftoff.

Flight 2 is designed to continue expanding the flight envelope of the fully reusable Spaceship architecture while validating improvements made following data gathered during Flight 1. The mission will test vehicle performance during ascent, stage separation, and recovery operations.

The primary objective for the booster is to perform a controlled descent and achieve a soft landing offshore of the coast of Florida. Additional objectives include validation of booster recovery systems, evaluation of flight software updates, and continued testing of the integrated hot-staging ring.

The primary objective for the Ship is to perform a soft splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico ~2 hours after launch, several secondary objectives are planned, like the opening and closing of the payload bay door on Ship, a In space burn which will send us towards the planned splashdown point in the Gulf of mexico and a Propellant transfer demo between the header tanks and the main tanks.

Spaceship is Space Systems' next-generation super heavy-lift launch vehicle and is being developed to support high-capacity cargo missions, lunar operations, and future crewed exploration missions throughout the Kerbol system. Upon entering operational service, the vehicle is expected to deliver up to 250 tonnes to Low Kerbin Orbit in a fully reusable configuration and up to 400 tonnes in an expendable configuration.

As the second integrated test flight of the program, Flight 2 represents another major milestone in the development of fully reusable heavy-lift spaceflight capabilities for Space Systems.

Countdown Time

T-02:00:00 - Flight director conducts poll and verifies go for Propellant load

T-01:30:00 - Veryheavy Booster Lox Load underway

T-01:23:00 - VeryHeavy Booster Fuel load underway

T-01:15:00 - Ship Lox Load Underway

T-00:59:00 - Ship Fuel Load Underway

T-00:15:00 - Kraptor begins engine chill on ship and booster

T-00:03:15 - Ship Propellant Load complete

T-00:02:45 - Booster Propellant Load Complete

T-00:02:15 - Entire Vehicle Tanks Pressurization

T-00:00:03 - Ignition (33 Kraptor Engines Ignite)

T-00:00:00 - Excitment guarenteed

T+00:00:00 - Liftoff

T+00:00:45  - Max Q

T+00:02:20 - Booster MECO (Most Engines Cutoff, 3 Kraptors still running)

T+00:02:22 - Second stage Engine start 1

T+00:02:25 - Stage Separation

T+00:02:30 - Boost-back Burn Startup

T+00:03:20 - Boost-back Burn shutdown

T+00:06:50 - Booster Landing burn

T+00:07:20 - Booster Landing burn shutdown

T+00:09:40 - Second Stage engine cutoff 1

T+00:17:00 - Payload Bay Door Open

T+00:19:00 - Propellant transfer demo begins

T+00:27:00 - Payload Bay door Close

T+00:28:00 - Propellant transfer demo complete

T+00:45:00 -  Kraptor in chill down for Relight Demo

T+00:59:00 - Relight Demo Startup

T+00:59:05 - Relight Demo Shutdown

T+01:35:00 - Spaceship Entry begins

T+01:55:00 - Spaceship Entry transonic

T+01:56:00 - Spaceship Entry Subsonic

T+01:58:55 - Spaceship Landing Burn Startup

T+01:59:00 - Spaceship Landing Flip

T+02:00:00 - Spaceship Landing Burn Shutdown

T+02:00:00 - An Exciting Landing